Series Preview –

The Royals alternated wins in Anaheim while taking the series against the Halos and are 20-17 this season. Oakland is finishing a six game home stand which began with dropping two-of-three against Texas earlier this week.

Probable Pitching Matchups –

Friday, May 17 (9:07 pm): James Shields (2-3, 3.04) v. Jarrod Parker (2-5, 6.39)
- Shields is coming off a tough loss last Saturday against the Yankees at the K
- His career record against the A’s is 5-3 with a 4.08 ERA and is 2-2 in Oakland

Saturday, May 18 (8:07 pm): Ervin Santana (3-2, 2.79) v. Tommy Milone (3-5, 3.71)
- Santana is sitting on 99 careers wins
- In his career he’s 6-1 at the Coliseum with a 2.08 ERA in 12 outings (10 starts)

Sunday, May 19 (3:07 pm): Luis Mendoza (1-2, 6.00) v. A.J. Griffin (4-3, 3.48)
- Last time out Mendoza picked up his first win of 2013 at Los Angeles
- The Dozer went six innings for the third time this season on Monday while striking out six Angels

2012 Results –

Kansas City won the season series 5-4 against Oakland in 2012 in what was a close series, KC outscored the A’s 22-20 in nine meetings. The Athletics held a 2-1 lead when the teams played at the Coliseum in the lone trip the Royals made to the Bay Area both losses were by a run. Fans will remember the series finale going 12 innings and Jonathan Broxton being unable to protect the lead.

TV/Radio –

All three games are on Fox Sports Kansas City with Ryan Lefebvre and Rex Hudler on the call with Joel Goldberg hosting the pre and post game. On 610 Sports Radio will be Steve Physioc and Steve Stewart.

2013 Schedule v. Athletics –

May 17-19, Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum
July 5-7, Kauffman Stadium

Team Game Notes –

Kansas City
Oakland

This will be the only visit the Royals make to Angels Stadium against Los Angeles and Mike Trout. Photo Credit: Kelvin Kuo-USA TODAY Sports

Series Preview –

KC comes to the big A having lost six of their last seven games, after getting to 17-10 on the season. The Angels are coming off a series win on the Southside of Chicago but are 3-3 in their last six games.

Probable Pitching Matchups –

Monday, May 13 (9:05 pm): Luis Mendoza (0-2, 6.38) v. Joe Blanton (0-6, 5.66)
- Mendoza is making just his fifth start of the season tonight in Anaheim
- This is the Dozers first start against LA as a Royal but his career record against the Halos is 0-1 in three starts
Tuesday, May 14 (9:05 pm): Jeremy Guthrie (5-0, 2.28) v. Jason Vargas (1-3, 4.11)
- Guthrie looks to continue his club-record 18 game unbeaten streak
- His 2.28 ERA is seventh as of Monday in the American League
Wednesday, May 15 (9:05 pm): Wade Davis (2-3, 5.86) v. TBA
- Davis suffered a 11-6 defeat Friday night against the Yankees going just five innings
- After starting 2-0 he’s lost three of his last four starts with a no-decision mixed in

2012 Results –

In 2012 the Royals were 4-5 against the Angeles but were 3-3 in Anaheim which included taking the opening series. Los Angeles outscored Kansas City by the narrow margin of 44-39 last season in the nine games played.

TV/Radio –

All three games are on Fox Sports Kansas City with Ryan Lefebvre and Rex Hudler on the call with Joel Goldberg hosting the pre and post game. On 610 Sports Radio will be Steve Physioc and Steve Stewart.

2013 Schedule v. Angels –

May 13-15, Angels Stadium
May 23-26, Kauffman Stadium

Public enemy number one Robinson Cano returns to the K this weekend. Photo Credit: Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports

Kings of Kauffman – Robinson Cano will be booed every time he’s at bat or announced this weekend, how do you think this will play with Yankee fans watching on TV?

Yankees Go Yard – The Cano thing to me was very overblown. There should just be a rule that the host stadium automatically has a competitor in the home run derby. Yankees get booed all the time so it won’t bother him or fans watching.

KOK – Many, myself included thought New York would take a step back but to their credit they are playing decent, what are the reasons for this?

YGY – The credit goes to the pitching staff. After early struggles, they’ve really calmed down. GM Brian Cashman has brought in some nice veteran stop gaps like Lyle Overbay to help out. Vernon Wells has been better than anyone could have expected.

KOK – How does the starting pitching line-up for the weekend?

YGY – he Royals will see Phil Hughes friday who has pitched quite a bit better than early on. If he can throw strikes, and keep his pitch count down, it could be a long night for KC. Andy Pettitte goes saturday night and he’s really struggled of late. If he’s elevating the ball, KC is in good shape. Hiroki Kuroda goes sunday and he’s been the Yankees most consistant starter this year.

KOK – This will be the Yankees lone trip to the K so our last chance to see Mariano Rivera how has Mo been (nearly a year to the day to his injury at Kauffman Stadium)

YGY – Mariano RIvera has been as good as he ever has. He could probably pitch another two years after this if he wanted.

Pitching Match-ups and game times –

Friday: Phil Hughes (1-2, 3.60) v. Wade Davis (2-2, 4.75), 7:10 pm
Saturday:  Andy Pettitte (3-2, 4.06) v. James Shields (1-2, 3.09), 6:10 pm
Sunday:  Hiroki Kuroda (4-2, 2.30) v. Ervin Santana (3-1, 2.00), 1:10 pm

This will be the Royals only trip to Oriole Park at Camden Yards against Baltimore in 2013. Photo Credit: Joy R. Absalon-USA TODAY Sports

Series Preview –

Baltimore enters the series with 19-13 record to Kansas City’s 17-11 mark, the O’s are two games back of Boston in the AL East. The O’s are home after a successful road trip out west going 7-3 against Seattle, Oakland and Los Angeles.

Probable Pitching Matchups –

Tuesday, May 7 (6:05 pm): Ervin Santana (3-1, 2.00) v. Wei-Yin Chen (2-3, 3.50)
- Santana was dominant in the game that never happened on Thursday against Tampa Bay
- The “Magic Man” sits at 99 career victories after narrowly missing getting the milestone in his last start

Wednesday, May 8 (6:05 pm): Luis Mendoza (0-1, 7.00) v. Chris Tillman (2-1, 3.63)
- This is just Mendoza’s fifth start of 2013 due to all the off days KC has had during the first month of the season
- The Dozer will be making his third career start against the O’s where he’s 2-1, 5.79 ERA, his first big league win was against Baltimore when he was with Texas

Thursday, May 9 (6:05 pm): Jeremy Guthrie (4-0, 2.40) v. TBA
- Guthrie will be making his first start since his first complete game on Saturday night against the White Sox at the K
- He’ll also be looking to improve his franchise record unbeaten streak which is at 17 straight starts

2013 Results –                               

Last year the O’s went 5-4 against Kansas City, the two teams will only play seven times. The next meeting will be a four game series in July at the K.

TV/Radio –

FSKC will carry all three games this week while 610 Sports Radio will have the radio coverage if you can’t watch the television broadcast.

2013 Schedule v. Orioles –

May 7-9, Oriole Park at Camden Yards
July 22-25, Kauffman Stadium

Team Game Notes –

Baltimore Orioles
Kansas City Royals

The Kansas City Royals and Sluggerrr hope the weather improves this weekend at Kauffman Stadium when the White Sox come to town. Photo Credit: Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports

Series Preview –

KC lost 2-of-3 on the south side to begin the 2013 campaign but both teams have gone different directions since then. The Royals lead the AL Central at 15-10 while the White Sox are 12-15 last in the division but did take two at Texas.

Probable Pitching Matchups –

Friday, May 3 (7:10 pm): Dylan Axelrod (0-1, 3.95) v. Jeremy Guthrie (3-0, 3.06)
- Guthrie dominated the Tribe last weekend throwing 6.2 scoreless innings with five strikeouts
- He continues to ride a 16 game unbeaten streak that dates back to August 8, 2012 against Chicago

Saturday, May 4 (6:10 pm): TBA v. Wade Davis (2-2, 5.55)
- In his last start Davis only last 4.2 innings allowing eight runs
- He’s looking for his first win since April 17 in Atlanta which has been one of the best starts of the season by a Royal pitcher

Sunday, May 5 (1:10 pm): Jose Quintana (2-0, 3.58) v. James Shields (2-2, 3.00)
- Shields looked good against his former team on Tuesday night and will get another crack at Chicago
- Getting the ball on Opening Day in Chicago Big Game lost a 1-0 decision allowing a solo shot to Tyler Flowers which was the difference

2013 Results –                               

The teams met the opening week of the season in which the White Sox took two of three against the Royals. Chicago won the first two games 1-0 and 5-2 with KC taking the series finale 3-1.

TV/Radio –

FSKC will carry all three games this weekend while 610 Sports Radio will have the radio coverage if you can’t watch the television broadcast.

2013 Schedule v. White Sox – CWS 2-1

April 1-4, US Cellular Field: Chicago wins the series 2-1
May 3-5, Kauffman Stadium
June 21-23, Kauffman Stadium
July 26-28, US Cellular Field
August 20-22, Kauffman Stadium
September 27-29, US Cellular Field

James Shields and the Royals open a three game series against his old team the Rays on Tuesday night. Photo Credit: Rick Osentoski-USA TODAY Sports

Kings of Kauffman – At 12-13 what’s been the number one issue for the Rays? 

Rays Colored Glasses – If there’s one number that the Rays have to address, that’s their 3.79 team ERA, just 8th in the American League. The Rays’ pitching staff has been very streaky all year, tossing 5 shutouts but also allowing 6 or more runs six times. The keys to fixing that are going to be David Price and Roberto Hernandez.

Price finally got his first win yesterday, but his ERA still stands at 5.21 despite a 35-9 K-BB ratio as he has allowed a crazy 6 home runs in 38 IP (1.4 HR/9). Price has been good his last two times out, but the Rays need him to get back to being that ace pitcher he has been for them the past few years. If he can do that, pairing him with the untouchable Matt Moore will leave opposing teams shaking in their boots.

Hernandez, on the other hand, has just a 4.66 career ERA so his 5.28 mark this year isn’t so surprising, but he has looked electric, managing a 30-10 K-BB in 30.2 IP with a strikeout rate not too far off from double his career average as the Rays have altered his pitch usage to utilize his great changeup more often. But Hernandez has to become more consistent throughout his outings and find a way to get his results in line with his stuff. There’s reason for optimism, but that means nothing if Hernandez doesn’t start putting some solid starts together.

In the bullpen, the major concerns is Jake McGee, who is striking out batters like no tomorrow (14.0 K/9) but allowing far too many walks and home runs on his way to just a 6.48 ERA. That’s a sharp contrast from his 1.95 ERA from last season. McGee has been relying too heavily on his fastball in big spots and Rays have to get him right as well.

The offense is always a concern for the Rays as well, but they’ve gotten solid contribution all over the place and adding in Luke Scott will only make things better. If there’s one player the Rays have to get going, it’s Yunel Escobar, who has hit just .164 in 80 PA’s. He will return from a hamstring injury for Game 1 of the Rays-Royals series.

KOK – Tampa Bay is 8-4 at the Trop while just 4-9 away? Any reason for this oddity 25 games into the season?

RCG – Watching the team, I don’t think there has really been any difference and it really has just been a matter of the Rays just happening to be playing poorly on the road and well at home. That’s illustrated best by the fact that the Rays’ team OPS at home is better than away (.725 vs. .686) something shocking giving how tough a ballpark they play in, while their pitching staff has been just about as good, managing a 3.50 ERA and a 3.90 FIP at home and a 4.07 ERA and a 4.10 FIP on the road. The Rays have really just been basically the same team everywhere and one tough road trip in Texas, Boston, and Baltimore and a great home stand versus the Yankees and A’s are making the difference seem a lot more than it should be. It’s early in the season, and by the end of it all I’ll be shocked if the Rays’ home and away records aren’t remarkably similar.

KOK – Have fans been wondering when Wil Myers will be freed with how James Shields and Wade Davis have done so far?

RCG – Everyone is talking about Wil Myers, but I don’t think anyone cares about Shields and Davis anymore. Both of them, especially Shields, were great for the Rays, but they were also easily replaceable because the Rays just have so much pitching. It’s a real possibility that the Rays could lose Shields and Davis yet still have a significantly better starting rotation with Matt Moore, Alex Cobb, and Jeremy Hellickson looking vastly improved in the early goings.

Back to Myers, he hasn’t exactly set the world on fire at Triple-A, not hitting for much power, and most Rays fans have just accepted that he’s probably not coming up until June. The Rays’ offense has not been that bad, all things considered, and while Myers will be a big boost to the Rays when he comes up, if keeping him at Triple-A makes him a better player in the long-term, Rays fans are fine leaving him there as long as it takes.

KOK – Who are the pitchers that KC can expect to see this week at the K?

RCG – The Royals are lucky enough to miss both Matt Moore and David Price, but it will certainly not be smooth sailing for them as they take on Alex Cobb, Jeremy Hellickson, and Roberto Hernandez.

Cobb, 25, has been incredible to begin the year, going 3-1 with a 1.82 ERA, but I don’t believe he has looked as good as the numbers would indicate. He attacks hitters with a heavy sinker, but the issue with him has always been missing bats. He throws an excellent split-change, but the key for him is his curveball. Cobb has been throwing a lot to begin at-bats and a decent amount with two strikes, but I don’t think it’s that great of a pitch and I expect the league to adjust soon. Will that happen before or after the Rays leave Kansas City?

Hellickson is a pitcher who has elicited much debate between the traditionalists and the sabermetricians the past couple years, but this is the season where they all agree that he’s a very good pitcher. Hellickson’s ERA is just 4.31 in his first five starts, but he’s pitching like a completely different pitcher right now. In his last three starts, Hellickson, a pitcher who has struck out just 6.2 batters per 9 innings in  his career, has struck out 23 while walking just 6 in his last 3 starts spanning 20 IP. And that isn’t just an aberration–Hellickson has made a major breakthrough. Hellickson’s bread-and-butter has always been his fastball and changeup, but this season, he has added his curveball as a third plus pitch, and that gives him a real chance to become a true number two starter. Hellickson will obviously still have his struggles, especially when his fastball command is off, but he’s emerging as a really good pitcher and just maybe one of the best in baseball.

And then there’s the enigma, Hernandez. As we talked about above, Hernandez can befuddle hitters with his electric arsenal but has been missing way too often over the heart of the plate. Hernandez has two really good pitches in his sinker and changeup and another solid one in his slider, but often his sinker moves so much that he doesn’t know where it’s going, and when he misses he gets hit hard. If Hernandez can be a little more consistent, he has the ability to be a rock-solid innings-eating 4th or 5th starter. No matter how Hernandez does for the Royals, there will be a few swings from Kansas City hitters about as ugly as you’ll see. The question is whether those will be canceled out by his mistakes.

Pitching Match-ups and game times –

Tuesday: Alex Cobb (3-1, 1.82) v. James Shields (1-2, 3.09), 7:10 pm
Wednesday: Jeremy Hellickson (1-2, 4.31) v. Luis Mendoza (0-1, 5.14), 7:10 pm
Thursday: Roberto Hernandez (1-4, 5.28) v. Ervin Santana (3-1, 2.00), 1:10 pm

Ervin Santana and the Royals return home to Kauffman Stadium after a 4-3 road trip against the Cleveland Indians. Photo Credit: Peter G. Aiken-USA TODAY Sports

Kings of Kauffman – What has stuck out with Cleveland’s start this season?

Wahoo’s on First – Surprisingly, it’s the lackluster performance of the offense to start the season. With the acquisitions we made this offseason, everyone figured the Indians would be one of the top run scoring teams in baseball. That hasn’t really happened, at least not yet. Sure, we’ve had a few eruptions against Tampa and Houston, but runs have been pretty hard to come by. I think injuries are partly to blame. Missing Michael Bourn has really hurt over the past week or so, Jason Kipnis has been dealing with a sore elbow on top of an ice cold start, and Asdrubal Cabrera has struggled with a few lingering issues physically. They’re the top three in our everyday lineup and without them getting on base it’s made things that much more difficult for everyone else. I think it’s only a matter of time though until they turn things around and really get things going offensively. Now the starting pitching, that’s a whole other story.

KOK – Any noticed differences with Terry Francona in the dugout

WOF – Yes, and not just the increased consumption of Double Bubble over the course of nine innings. The big difference is apparent in how he handles the in game decisions and the lineups. With Eric Wedge it became comical how we never seemed to have the same lineup day in and day out. There was no consistency and I think that wore on the players at times. Then under Manny Acta it was a complete debacle. Batting Jose Lopez cleanup, intentionally walking Mitch Mooreland to get to Adrian Beltre (he hit a home run that still hasn’t landed), and refusing to utilize players in a practical manner. With Francona, there seems to be a more relaxed atmosphere with him putting more faith in the players to come through. He’s not micromanaging situations and forcing square pegs into round holes. It’s refreshing.

KOK – These two teams had tension last season due you think that’s gone with Choo now in Cincinnati?

WOF – I don’t think there will be any sort of carry over effect. The two players most having issue with one another, Choo and Jonathan Sanchez, are both long gone. There has also been so much roster turnover on our side of things that I find it hard to believe anything could come bubbling to the surface. Nowadays with things as they are with free agency, the feuds tend to center more around individual players and less around the actual teams. Plus, Carlos Carrasco will be nowhere to be found so everyone on the Royals should be safe.

KOK – Scott Kazmir, Ubaldo Jimenez, Justin Masterson and TBA are the scheduled pitchers how have these guys started out?

WOF – In Kazmir’s first and only start of the season, he was somewhat disappointing. After having a great spring he struggled with his command and the long ball and didn’t qualify for the win even though the Tribe scored 19 runs. He should bounce back, though. His velocity was great and he had good movement. The problem was that it was his first start of the DL and on top of that he had to endure sitting through an 8 run first and a 7 run second. I think he’ll show tremendous improvement against the Royals.

Ubaldo Jimenez is a mystery. To be honest, we’re all pretty much over him at this point. We never know what we’re going to get out of him and more often than not it’s a complete disaster. He had a decent start his last time out, so maybe he’s starting to turn the corner a bit, but until he can throw strikes with some sort of consistency things won’t really get better.

Justin Masterson has been phenomenal. After a subpar 2012 season following a dominant 2011, we were all a bit worried about whether or not he really was a front line starter. Well, those concerns have been set aside, at least for now. When his sinker is working, it’s almost impossible to make solid contact against him.

In game four, if I had to wager a guess, the Royals will probably face Corey Kluber. He was called up recently to replace Brett Myers in the rotation. Myers has been shelved with an elbow issue that may be the reason for his absolutely abysmal performance so far this season. As for Kluber, he’s nothing spectacular and gets hit pretty hard on a consistent basis. As soon as Myers is healthy or the Indians decide to permanently call up Trevor Bauer, Kluber will be back down in Triple A.

Pitching Match-ups and game times –

Friday: Scott Kazmir (0-0, 16.20) v. Ervin Santana (2-1, 2.48), 7:10 pm
Saturday: Ubaldo Jimenez (0-2, 10.06) v. Jeremy Guthrie (2-0, 3.86), 6:10 pm
Sunday: Justin Masterson (4-1, 1.85) v. Luis Mendoza (0-1, 5.14), 1:10 pm
Monday: TBA v. Wade Davis (2-1, 3.20), 7:10 pm

Royals nemesis Justin Verlander gets the ball Wednesday at Comerica Park in game two of the series against the Royals. Photo Credit: Rick Osentoski-USA TODAY Sports

Series Preview –

This will be Kansas City’s first trip to the Motor City and third series against the AL Central during the 2013 season. It also kicks off a string of seven straight divisional games as KC hosts Cleveland after completing this road trip. Last season Detroit dominated the Royals with a 13-5 record.

Probable Pitching Matchups –

Tuesday, April 23 (6:05 pm): Wade Davis (2-0, 2.25) v. Max Scherzer (1-0, 2.84)
- After a season opening no decision in Philadelphia, Davis has wins over Minnesota and at Atlanta
- In his last outing he helped end the Braves 10 game winning streak being on the right side of a 1-0 decision

Wednesday, April 24 (6:05 pm): Luis Mendoza (0-1, 6.17) v. Justin Verlander (2-2, 2.13)
- When last we saw the Dozer he was on the wrong side of a 6-4 decision against Toronto
- Mendoza was skipped his last time in the rotation due to the amount of Royals off days last week

Thursday, April (12:05 pm): James Shields (1-2, 3.00) v. Anibal Sanchez (2-1, 1.75)
- While not factoring in the decision Saturday in Boston, Big Game James again provided another quality start going six innings allowing just one run
- Shields is looking to reverse his road record as he’s 0-1 with a no decision which game in his last start at Fenway

2012 Results –

Last season KC was 5-13 against Detroit as the Tigers outscored the Royals 76-51 in the eighteen games played. The 51 runs were the fewest runs scored against central division foe in 2012.

TV/Radio –

Tuesday and Wednesday games are on Fox Sports Kansas City with no TV on Thursday afternoon. 610 Sports Radio will have you covered for all three games if you’re not by a television.

2013 Schedule v. Tigers –

April 23-25, Comerica Park
June 10-12, Kauffman Stadium
July 19-21, Kauffman Stadium
August 15-18, Comerica Park
September 6-8, Kauffman Stadium
September 13-15, Comerica Park

Fenway Park is sure to be electric this weekend when the Red Sox return home following the tragic events earlier this week. Photo Credit: David Butler II-USA TODAY Sports

Kings of Kauffman – How surprised are Red Sox fans at the early season success?

BoSox Injection – I would characterize it as more than mildly, very pleasantly and cautiously surprised. After all we’re talking New Englanders here with a long history of getting their spirit crushed. Yeah, we won it all in 2004 and again in 2007 but the bitter divisiveness that resulted in Boston’s worst record since 1965 made Red Sox Nation feel like angry losers again. With all the offseason moves there was a potential for either a solid gelling of the new lineup and coaching staff – great clubhouse guys like Mike Napoli, Shane Victorino and Jonny Gomes – or the same old flat as a turd start that marked both the 2011 and 2012 seasons. Right now the fans and the team are riding the crest of a winning wave and it shows.

KOK – John Farrell‘s impact on the pitching staff is one of the major reasons Boston wanted him back, right?

BI – Certainly the magic that Farrell was able to create during his pivotal years as pitching coach in Boston have been key foundational elements to stabilizing Boston’s talented but sometimes fussy group of starters. Jon Lester and Clay Buchholz need managers and coaches that understand them. Farrell’s return set the tone from the get go. Juan Nieves, Boston’s new pitching coach, has likewise been a smart and steady influence who treats the pitchers like professionals and gets his points across through subtle teaching exercises. The group is happy, the bullpen has been very solid. As for the closer? Hmmm….

KOK – Individual to watch this weekend?

BI – It’s hard not imagine Dustin Pedroia as the Red Sox man to watch. He is the heart and soul of the team. He’s currently batting .306 and doing what he does so well in the field. He’s tough as nails. Any team would kill to have a second baseman like Pedey. From a pitching perspective, Clay Buchholz is the Red Sox man to watch. He took a no-no into the eighth inning in his last outing and his ERA of 0.41 is third best in the majors.

KOK – How emotional do you think Fenway Park will be Friday night given the tragedy on Monday in Boston?

BI – In a word, Fenway Park will be at fever pitch. It will have been five days since the bombings and will be the first Friday night after a brutal week of heartache. Fans will be ready to cut loose, especially if the Sox remain hot and take the Cleveland series, which as of this writing looks probable.

Here is the other side of the Q&A at BoSox Injection

Pitching Match-ups and game times –

Friday: James Shields (1-2, 3.43) v. C. Buchholz (3-0, 0.41), 6:10 pm
Saturday: Ervin Santana (1-1, 2.45) v. R. Dempster (0-1, 2.65), 12:10 pm
Sunday: Jeremy Guthrie (2-0, 3.20) v. F. Doubront (1-0, 4.50), 12:35 pm

Kansas City begins its road trip at Turner Field with the 11-1 Atlanta Braves on Tuesday for a brief two game series. Photo Credit: Daniel Shirey-USA TODAY Sports

Kings of Kauffman – Expectations before the season were large in Atlanta, how much have they grown with the start plus road sweep at Washington?

Tomahawk Take – The expectations before the season began were no doubtably huge.  With the additions of both Justin Upton and B.J. Upton the Braves seemed to have the youngest most exciting outfield in the game, not to mention maybe the best outfield in the game.  Sure we lost Chipper Jones, Martin Prado and Michael Bourn this offseason but I believe GM Frank Wren made all the right moves.  One of the most interesting story lines for the Braves heading into spring training was the catcher position.  With franchise face and backbone of the team Brian McCann starting the season on the DL , the Braves had to find a temporary replacement.  We picked up Gerald Laird off free agency but knew he was nothing but a backup.  Then coming off a great winter league season, Evan Gattis came to spring training and put on a show.  Gattis has a great comeback story as he quit baseball for 4 years working jobs here and there across the country trying to find himself.  He finally decided to come back to baseball and the Braves drafted him.  Now, an everyday starter either at the catcher spot or filling in at first base to keep his bat in the lineup.  If your pitchers don’t know about him, they should start studying….if they can, he’s got a great eye and seems to be able to hit a pitch anywhere he wishes.

Right now, Atlanta Braves fans are astatic about the 11-1 start to the season especially after the sweep of “The Mothership’s” love for the Nationals.  But we all know it is real early and we’ve got to keep winning!

KOK – What’s been the key to Atlanta starting 11-1 and having the best record in baseball?

TT – I’d say the Braves have a few keys to the quick start.  The pitching has been tremendous with been lead by Paul Maholm who is 3-0 and hasn’t given up a run yet.  Tim Hudson, Kris Medlen and Mike Minor have all started strong with ERA’s of 2.50, 1.50 and 0.69.  Julio Teheran is our 5th starter and our top prospect who has struggled to find a groove but I see him turning it around.

Also, Justin Upton…he’s started off with MVP numbers hitting .348 with league leading seven home runs. We’ve got a platoon at third base with Juan Francisco and Chris Johnson.  Both have been keys aspects to the start of the season.  Especially Johnson as he’s stepped up to play first base while Freddie Freeman is on the DL.  Johnson started a rally during the opening game of the Washington series that changed the entire series around.  Then Gattis, as I mentioned before the guy has been unreal to start the season. Batting 4th in our lineup and hitting .324 with four home runs and 10 RBI’s.

Another key has been our bench play.  Ramiro Pena has started the season hot off the bench and as our utility player.  He’s played so well he started over Andrelton Simmons on Saturday.  He’s a key switch hitting guy who can play third, short and second.  Jordan Schafer has four hits in seven at bats and the combination of catchers with Laird and Gattis both hitting the ball well.

KOK – Kris Medlen and Mike Minor are the Braves scheduled starters, what should we know about them?

TT – Kris Medlen will get the ball on Tuesday wearing the #42 jersey for Jackie Robinson tribute.  He started off the season against the Phillies and not having his best stuff.  Medlen is a location guy and lives off his command.  He can throw it by some but where he gets most hitters is with his nasty changeup pitch and where he can spot it.  He came back against the Marlins and threw a lot better pitching up his first win of the year.  He’s only given up two runs in two starts in 2013 and came off his fantastic 2012 season.  I’d look for Medlen to have another stellar start against the Royals.

Mike Minor is a guy who most didn’t see being a top of the rotation guy a few years ago.  He has matured into a great young left handed pitcher.  He’s started off the 2013 season with two wins in his first two starts and only giving up one run against the Chicago Cubs.  His fastball has lots of movement on it and can throw it by hitters.  He’s looking for a breakout season and 2013 could be it.

KOK – Kansas City has former Braves on the team in Bruce Chen and Jeff Francoeur any thoughts of how they’ll be greated?

TT – Jeff Francoeur was my favorite Braves player a few years ago, (I even named my dog after him) but he needed a change of scenery.  I always pull for him and check the box score on how he’s doing.  I’m hoping the rest of Braves Country will accept him with open arms with his return.  No hard feelings here at all.  I don’t see the Braves fan base booing either of those guys, we just aren’t that type of fans….but call an infield fly, all hell breaks loose!!

Here is the other side of the Q&A at Tomahawk Take

Pitching Match-ups and game times –

Tuesday: Jeremy Guthrie (2-0, 3.55) v. Kris Medlan (1-1, 1.50), 6:10 pm
Wednesday: Wade Davis (1-0, 4.00) v. Mike Minor (2-0, 0.69), 11:10 am

Melky Cabrera is one of the former Royals who’ll be at the K when the Toronto Blue Jays come in for a weekend series. Photo Credit: Rick Osentoski-USA TODAY Sports

Kings of Kauffman – What are Blue Jays fans feeling now with the slow start given the offseason moves.

Jays Journal –Well, you can’t help but be a bit disappointed after a slow start, but a lot of that disappointment stems from 4 months worth of building expectations. It just takes a moment to realize that every team is going to slump at some point in the season, and a slow start won’t necessarily doom this team. A sustained slow start, well that may be a different story.

KOK – Of all the moves which one is the most important for the team’s success this season?

JJ – They pitching staff additions are going to dictate how far this team goes. R.A. Dickey and Josh Johnson need to adjust to pitching in the American League East, and Mark Buehrle needs to be that veteran presence in the middle of the order. Dickey becomes the de facto cog in the wheel, as this team really needs an ace that can be a stopper, something they missed badly in 2012.

KOK – Toronto hasn’t been to the playoffs since 1993 when they won the World Series, does that streak end in 2013?

JJ – You would have to think so. The AL East is wide open in 2013, and Toronto saw that and pounced. Now they need to capitalize on all of those offseason moves. If Bautista and the rotation stays healthy, then there is no excuse for this team not making the postseason.

KOK – Jose Bautista will have how many HRs this season?

JJ – I’d be comfortable in predicting 35-38 home runs on the season. He’s shown a quick bat thus far in the spring and early going, but we need to remember he is coming off of a solid wrist injury and may have soreness he hasn’t in the past. Don’t get me wrong, 35-38 home runs is still a solid number, but fans have come to expect more out of Bautista.

To see the other half of the series Q&A click here.

Pitching Match-ups and game times –

Friday: J.A. Happ (1-0, 0.00) v. Luis Mendoza (0-0, 1.50), 7:10 pm
Saturday: R.A. Dickey (0-2, 8.44) v. James Shields (1-1, 3.75), 6:10 pm
Sunday: Brandon Morrow (0-1, 5.59) v. Ervin Santana (1-1, 3.21), 1:10 pm

Kansas City returns home to open the home portion of their schedule at Kauffman Stadium on Monday against Minnesota. Photo Credit: Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports

Series Preview –

Kansas City returns home for the first time in 2013 and they’ll see AL Central foe Minnesota at the K. A season ago the Twins won 11 of 18 games against the Royals.

Probable Pitching Matchups –

Monday, April 8 (3:10 pm): Kevin Correia (0-0, 2.57) v. Ervin Santana (0-1, 6.00)
- Santana gets the ball in the 2013 home opener, here’s hoping it’s better than Luke Hochevar’s last season.
- Last time out in Chicago, Santana went six innings but allowed four runs on five hit but allowed three home runs.

Tuesday, April 9 (7:10 pm): Mike Pelfrey (1-0, 0.00) v. Jeremy Guthrie (1-0, 1.50)
- Last Thursday Guthrie was solid in his continued mastery of the White Sox
- Royals fans will want to see how he does against a non-pale hoes team.

Wednesday, April 3 (7:10 pm): Liam Hendriks (0-0, 7.71) v. Wade Davis (0-0, 9.00)
- Davis got roughed up in his Royals debut Friday in Philadelphia against the Phillies.
- Hendriks also didn’t fair the best in his first start and one hopes that Davis bounces back.

2012 Results –

Last season the Royals went 7-11 against the Twins they were outscored by Minnesota 89-85. The 85 runs were the second most runs KC scored against an opponent last year (103 versus Cleveland).

TV/Radio –

All three games are on Fox Sports Kansas City in addition can be found on 610 Sports Radio.

2013 Schedule v. Twins –

April 8-10, Kauffman Stadium
June 4-6, Kauffman Stadium
June 27-30, Target Field
July 30-31 and August 1, Target Field
August 5-7, Kauffman Stadium
August 27-29, Target Field

Kansas City travels to Philadelphia for the Phillies home opening series and will see shortstop Jimmy Rollins at Citizens Bank Park for the first time since June of 2004. Photo Credit: Howard Smith-USA TODAY Sports

Kings of Kauffman – What are Phillies fans expectations this season in the tough NL East?

That Balls Outta Here – What AREN’T people expecting in the NL East? Have you seen an NL East prediction that wasn’t Nats-Braves-Phils-Mets-Fish?  The Nats win the division, and there’s some debate over whether the Braves get the first or second Wild Card. Some jokers occasionally put the Mets over the Phillies in third place.  Jokers like Baseball Prospectus.

And you know what?  They’re probably right.  The NL East lined up so clearly in the offseason that there’s not even a lot of backdoor stats that you can use to loop the Phillies back around to second place.  They’re not going to win the division.  They might get a Wild Card spot, though that’s something I’ve been saying and I’m not sure if it’s because I actually believe it or because I refuse to not believe it.  The Phillies are part of a middling .500 group of NL teams; for some, they’ll get a few lucky bounces and fight for the playoffs; others will get struck by lightning and fall to 60-70 wins.  The Phillies are the only team like this in the NL East (Nats are dominant, Braves are between dominant and average, Mets are below average, Marlins are invisible), and if they were playing in the AL Central division or somewhere, they might have a better shot.

KOK – If any Royals fans are in Philly this weekend what can they expect from the crowd on the home opening weekend? 

TBOH – This Interleague everyday stuff really confuses the vitriol-spew.  I’m sure there will be plenty of people who watched the 1980 World Series and bring it up, but it’s not like any sort of longstanding feelings between the Phillies and Royals.  Not that there needs to be for the hate to flow, but it’s still early in the season, people are excited, and Chipper Jones/Jose Reyes/any of the Nationals aren’t on your team so there’s no instinctive spark to pummel anybody right from the get-go.

I think the early season enthusiasm, home opener excitement, and flaccid relationship with the Royals will make this an enjoyable experience for anybody.  But please don’t take my word for it.

KOK – These teams have met three times with the 1980 World Series, 2004 & ’07 Interleague Play, what are the thoughts of KC?

TBOH – Honestly, close to nil.  I know you guys have been bad for a long time and have been supposed to be good for a little while; not overly good, but at least seeing some of those top picks get it together as Major Leaguers.  If Jeff Francoeur still on your team?  I used to have a really personal grudge against him.  I forget why. Probably because he’s an a-hole and he sucks at baseball.

There’s nothing more fun than watching a team of anonymous youngsters get hot, even if it’s just for a part of the season, so you guys have that to look forward to – and your eventual breakout year.  The Orioles did it last year, as did the Nationals; hell, even the Pirates almost got into the playoffs.  The Pirates.  Your guys’ year has to be forthcoming.

The Pirates.

KOK – Citizens Bank Park seems to be a hitters park from the little we know will the weather make this the case over the weekend?

TBOH – CBP is a hitters’ park, for sure, which is why it is so nice that the Phillies have some hitters this year. Well, at least one.  Charlie Manuel calls the hotter summer months “hittin’ season” because the ball carries better or whatever made-up West Virginia magic he’s cooking with.  By that logic, the ball won’t carry much further than it’s supposed to.  Of course, I was down at the park yesterday (no there was nothing going on) and it was a veritable wind storm, so.  That might not help.  Plus you’re going to be facing Kyle Kendrick and John Lannan, I think.  They could both go sideways really at any time.

Pitching Match-ups and game times –

Friday: Wade Davis (0-0, 0.00) v. Kyle Kendrick (0-0, 0.00), 3:05 pm
Saturday: Luis Mendoza (0-0, 0.00) v. John Lannan (0-0, 0.00), 6:05 pm
Sunday: James Shields (0-1, 1.50) v. Cole Hamels (0-1, 9.00), 12:35 pm

Follow Justin on twitter @TBOHblog

Opening Day is here for the Royals as they head to Chicago to face the White Sox. The Royals send James Shields to take on Chris Sale today. Photo Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports

Series Preview –

After a 25-7-1 spring in Surprise the Royals open the season at Chicago on April Fool’s Day. Taking the mound will be the “Big Game” James making his debut against the White Sox. Last season KC won 12 games against the South Siders.

Opening Day Lineups –

Royals: Alex Gordon LF, Alcides Escobar SS, Billy Butler DH, Mike Moustakas 3B, Salvador Perez C, Eric Hosmer 1B, Lorenzo Cain CF, Jeff Francoeur RF, Chris Getz 2B – James Shields SP

White Sox: Alejandro De Aza CF, Jeff Keppinger 3B, Alex Rios RF, Adam Dunn DH, Paul Konerko 1B, Dayan Viciedo LF, Alexei Ramirez SS, Tyler Flowers C, Gordon Beckham 2B – Chris Sale SP

Probable Pitching Matchups –

Monday, April 1 (3:10 pm): James Shields (0-0, 0.00) v. Chris Sale (0-0, 0.00)
- Shields will make his debut for the boys in blue
Wednesday, April 3 (1:10 pm): Ervin Santana (0-0, 0.00) v. Jake Peavy (0-0, 0.00)
- Santana was acquired in the offseason from Los Angeles will make his first start for KC
Thursday, April 3 (1:10 pm):  Jeremy Guthrie (0-0, 0.00) v. Gavin Floyd (0-0, 0.00)
- Can Guthrie continue to put up the numbers he did since coming over from Colorado?

2012 Results –

Last season the Royals went 12-6 against the White Sox which was KC’s best mark against any team they faced last year. Kansas City outscored Chicago 78-52 in 18 games.

TV/Radio –

All three games are on Fox Sports Kansas City in addition can be found on 610 Sports Radio.

2013 Schedule v. White Sox –

April 1-4, US Cellular Field
May 3-5, Kauffman Stadium
June 21-23, Kauffman Stadium
July 26-28, US Cellular Field
August 20-22, Kauffman Stadium
September 27-29, US Cellular Field

The Royals host the Tigers in their final series of 2012 at Kauffman Stadium Monday-Wednesday. Photo Credit: Jerry Lai/USA TODAY Sports via US PRESSWIRE

We took a couple minutes to catch-up with Matt Snyder who is the co-editor over at Motor City Bengals.

Kings of Kauffman – With how everything has played out this season how does it feel knowing Detroit could be the first AL team to clinch a playoff spot?

Matt Snyder – That is a crazy thought, considering the roller coaster ride this team took us on, but I think it says more about the state of the American League Central than it does about the Tigers. In any other division, the Tigers’ playoff hopes would be dashed by now. But as we’ve seen in the past, all a team needs to do is get in the playoffs, and then anything can happen.

KOK – In your opinion what has it been for the Tigers to claw back and finally grab hold of a division many thought they’d have an easier time with?

MS – The first half of the season (primarily the month of May) didn’t go as the Tigers had planned, but they’ve played some pretty good baseball since then (they have a .574 win percentage since June 1). The defense has been shoddy, and the offense hasn’t been quite as potent as predicted, but their rotation has been dominant and the big fellas (Fielder and Cabrera) have provided enough pop to get the job done. I think the main difference between our expectations and what played out was the surprising resurgence of the Chicago White Sox. I don’t think anyone quite expected Jake Peavy, Alex Rios, Adam Dunn, and AJ Pierzynski to bounce back the way they did this season, and consequently no one really predicted them to make a serious run at the division. They were a big pain in the neck.

KOK – Kansas City did an alright job with Miguel Cabrera last week in Detroit but do you think he does what is needed to win the Triple Crown and is he the AL MVP (bias aside)?

MS – He has as good of a chance to win the Triple Crown as anyone could hope, though Joe Mauer is breathing down his neck for the batting title, and Josh Hamilton is tied with him on the home run leader board. I’m obviously pulling for him to win the Triple Crown for historical reasons, but I don’t think he should win the MVP even if he accomplishes that feat. Cabrera has had a fantastic year — and he’s probably second in the AL if I had a vote — but I don’t think he holds a candle to what Mike Trout was able to do in Los Angeles if we consider all facets of the game.

KOK – Any concerns with this three-game series given that the Tigers were swept the last time they played the Royals at the K and that the teams have played several 1-2 run games?

MS – No concerns really. Although visions of 2006 still dance through the heads of many fans, the Tigers are in a great position. All it will take at this point is one win or one Chicago loss to clinch the division, so chances are strong the job will be done before the final day rolls around. Kansas City is one of those pesky teams that Detroit fans fear. We would like to take them to be automatic wins, but in reality the Royals seem to be a big thorn in the side, especially when it matters most.

Probable Starters this week (All Times Central) –

Monday 7:10 pm, Rick Porcello (9-12, 4.68) v. Bruce Chen (11-13, 5.13)

Tuesday 7:10 pm, Doug Fister (10-9, 3.38) v. Jeremy Guthrie (4-3, 3.18)*

Wednesday 7:10 pm, Max Scherzer (16-7, 3.82) v. Luis Mendoza (8-9, 4.36)

* = Since joining the Royals

Sandy Alomar, Jr. will make his Indians mangerial debut Friday night against the Royals at Progressive Field. Photo Credit: David Richard-US PRESSWIRE

We took a couple of minutes to catch-up with Lewie Pollis, who is the senior staff editor at Wahoo’s on First.

Kings of Kauffman – What has it been in the second half for Cleveland? The team was in the thick of it at the All-Star Break but why did they go bottom up?

Lewie Pollis – Really, everything that could go wrong has gone wrong. As a team the Indians have hit .239 with a .667 OPS since the All-Star Break, and they’ve got a team ERA of 5.16—looking at OPS, it’s as though the Tribe’s lineup is made up of nine Luis Valbuenas while they’re turning opponents into a team of nine Curtis Grandersons. Injuries and the exhaustion of the season have taken their toll, not to mention that at least a dozen players are having significant down years. The apathy and defeatedness snowballed quickly, especially in a clubhouse run by the low-key Manny Acta.

KOK – Who are the young players that have made the most of their September call ups that we should get to know?

LP – Unfortunately we haven’t seen a whole lot of positive signs from the gaggle of quasi-prospects and Quad-A players who’ve gotten the call this September. Russ Canzler has probably been the highlight, hitting .307/.325/.467 with three homers in 77 plate appearances—that’s not great, but for a team starved for first base production we’ll take it. Matt LaPorta also has a hearty .333/.355/.467 line, but that’s in only 31 plate appearances and it’s fueled by a .429 BABIP. The Indians seem to have basically given up on him.

The most intriguing pitcher we’ve seen is David Huff, who’s been bouncing back and forth between the minors and the majors for four years now. He started to put things together last year, and in 16 September innings he has a 2.25 ERA and a 12:3 K/BB ratio. I’m probably in the minority of Tribe fans on this, but I could see him as a dark horse candidate to win a rotation spot next year.

KOK – Do you sense that the April bad blood between these teams still exists? 

LP – To be honest, I’d forgotten about that until now. I can’t imagine we’ll see any more flare-ups this weekend. One of my writers, Merritt Rohlfing, wrote a great post earlier this month about the Tribe’s lack of passion—it’s hard for me to picture this clubhouse holding a grudge over almost six months, especially after the miserable few weeks they’ve been slumping through.

KOK – Today the Indians fired Manny Acta and will be led by Sandy Alomar Jr. the rest of the season, is he the guy no matter how Cleveland finishes?

LP – I don’t think the last six games will really make that much of a difference in the decision-making process, but Sandy has to be frontrunner. He’s a popular managerial prospect around the league, he’s been a leader in this clubhouse for three years, and he’s one of the most popular sports figures in Cleveland even though it’s been 12 years since he last caught for the Tribe. I don’t think it’s a slam-dunk (I’m hoping we somehow land Terry Francona), but Alomar is the heir apparent and it’s probably a good bet that the Indians will go with him.

Here is the other side of the conversation

Probable Starters this weekend (All Times Central) –

Friday 6:05 pm, Will Smith (6-8, 4.88) v. David Huff (2-0, 2.25)

Saturday 6:05 pm, Jake Odorizzi (0-1, 5.06) v. Jeanmar Gomez (5-8, 5.54)

Sunday 12:10 pm, Luke Hochevar (8-15, 5.43) v. Zach McAllister (5-8, 4.25)

Kansas City will be making their final trip to Comerica Park this season taking on triple crown hopeful Miguel Cabrera and the Detroit Tigers. Photo Credit: Rick Osentoski-US PRESSWIRE

When Last We Saw …

August 28-30 was the last time these teams faced one another which was a Kansas City sweep at the K. The Royals won three one-run games against Detroit by scores of 9-8, 1-0 and 2-1, before that series KC was 1-7 against the Tigers. Aaron Crow, Bruce Chen and Jeremy Guthrie picked up decisions over the sweep.

Season Series …

Following last month’s sweep the season series is now 7-4 in favor of Detroit and over the final two weeks the teams meet seven more times. Kansas City could play an important role in who wins the AL Central crown.

In the series opener of the last series Justin Verlander faced Luis Mendoza in a high scoring contest. The Royals touched Verlander for eight runs on 12-hits over 5.2 innings of work. Detroit fought back to tie the game up but in the bottom of the eighth inning Mike Moustakas doubled in Lorenzo Cain for a 9-8 victory.

Game two was a match-up between Anibal Sanchez and Bruce Chen who both went seven plus innings each with a quality starts. Chen held the Tigers scoreless over eight innings allowing just four hits and striking out four. Eric Hosmer drove in the only run in the fourth on a pop fly that brought in Moustakas.

Rick Porcello went up against Jeremy Guthrie in the finale which wound up being another pitcher’s duel. The Royals chased out Porcello after five innings scoring two-runs on eight hits, Guthrie went 7.1 innings allowing one run while scattering 10 hits.

Johnny Giavotella drove in the first run and Alex Gordon scored the second on his 10^th home run of the season. Worth noting Greg Holland saved the first two games of this series with Kelvin Herrera notching the save in game three.

4/16 – Tigers 3 @ Royals 2
4/17 – Tigers 3 @ Royals 1
4/18 – Tigers 4 @ Royals 3
4/30 – PPD
5/1 – Royals 3 @ Tigers 9
5/2 – Royals 3 @ Tigers 2
7/6 – Royals 2 @ Tigers 4
7/7 – Royals 7 @ Tigers 8
7/8 – Royals 1 @ Tigers 7
8/28 – Tigers 8 @ Royals 9
8/29 – Tigers 0 @ Royals 1
8/30 – Tigers 1 @ Royals 2

Probable Pitching Match-Ups (All Times Central):

Monday, 6:05 pm – Luke Hochevar (8-14, 5.40) v. Justin Verlander (15-8, 2.74)
- Against Detroit Hochevar is 0-1 this season losing 9-3 on May 1st
- Tonight Luke will tie his career high making his 31^st start of the season which he also did in 2011
- Verlander is 1-0 with a no-decision against KC this season
Tuesday, 6:05 pm – Bruce Chen (11-12, 5.22) v. Anibal Sanchez (3-6, 4.55*)
- Chen is 1-2 versus the Tigers in 2012
- This will be his third start at Comerica Park where he’s 0-2 with 3-1 and 8-7 defeats this year
- Sanchez is making his third start against KC since being acquired from Miami, he’s 1-1 against the Royals
Wednesday, 6:05 pm – Jeremy Guthrie (4-3, 3.00*) v. Rick Porcello (9-12, 4.57)
- This is a rematch of Aug 30 when Guthrie outduel Porcello 2-1 at the K
- Guthrie is coming off a no-decision against the White Sox on Thursday which the Royals won on a walkoff hit by Hosmer. He went six innings allowing one-run on eight hits.
- Porcello is 1-1 this season against KC
Thursday, 12:05 pm – Luis Mendoza (8-9, 4.44) v. Doug Fister (10-9, 3.43)
- Mendoza is coming off a 6-3 win Friday night against the Indians
- This will be the Dozer’s first start in Detroit
- Fister got the decision on July 7 against Chen in the Tigers 8-7 win

* – Stats since joining the Royals/Tigers

Salvador Perez has been a thorn in the side of Robin Ventura/Chicago White Sox all season long. Photo Credit: Denny Medley-US PRESSWIRE

We took a couple minutes to catch-up with our friend Matt Adams, who is the editor at Southside Showdown.

Kings of Kauffman – Chicago returns to the K for a midweek series against the Royals, any concerns from the fan base?

Definitely, the fan base as a whole thinks that there is some sort of crazy mind control going on with the Royals and the White Sox can’t beat them.  In particular Bruce Chen seems to scare everybody quite a bit.  It’s not logical, and it may even play in the White Sox favor as numbers like that tend to even out over time.  My concern is that the Royals are fielding a team of talented 25 year-olds and at some point guys like that figure it out become serious competitors.  This type of thing doesn’t have to happen in the off-season and I’d hate to be on the losing end of that realization with so much on the line.

KOK – How big is this six-game road trip for the White Sox given their three game lead in the division and being 37-35 away from the Cell?

Having just put themselves 3 games up on the Tigers, it’s not as do or die as it might have been would they have allowed the gap to be just a single game.  As mentioned, the Royals have given the White Sox a tough time and it certainly gets no easier heading to Anaheim after that.  The good news is that if they can get through the trip not having lost any ground, there is a week of home games waiting and opportunity to clinch.

KOK – We asked last time about Robin Ventura, but why does it seem his moves against KC have backfired this season at times? 

Against Kansas City?  Robin has made a lot of moves that seem to have backfired against quite a few teams and there have been many questions thrown in his direction regarding in-game decisions.  Ventura has done a great job for the team morale, they like him, they like playing for him and guys seem to be playing to their ability.  Tactically, he has some odd approaches.  I think he manages heavily from his gut, and the outcomes when managers do that rely on pure chance.  On one end he comes out looking golden and on the other foolish. He’s definitely managed both outcomes.  I can say that with the extended rosters and an inconsistent back end of the rotation, get ready for some long games.  He’s not shy about emptying the ‘pen with regular pitching changes.

KOK – Should Chicago make the playoffs which potential playoff match-up benefits the White Sox best in your opinion?

Based on how the teams have played head to head things look best going against the Yankees, which seems like a strange thing to say, considering the names in their lineup.  The Yankees are a beat up team, though, and there is no guarantee that they’ll be healthy enough in October to look like the team they are supposed to be on paper.  The recent success against them and their health issues make me want that matchup.  The Rangers are the team that scares the crap out of me, though the Sox have fared well against them this season as well.

Here is the other half of the Q&A that was conducted between Kings of Kauffman and Southside Showdown.

Probable Starters this weekend –

Tuesday 7:10 pm, Gavin Floyd (9-10, 4.59) v. Luke Hochevar (8-13, 4.59)

Wednesday 7:10 pm, Chris Sale (17-6, 2.78) v. Luis Mendoza (7-9, 4.50)

Thursday 7:10 pm, TBS v. Bruce Chen (10-12, 5.42)

Kansas City (65-78) returns home after a successful 4-2 road trip trough division leading Chicago and cellar dweller Minnesota. The Royals haven’t seen the Angels (78-66) since July when Los Angeles took two-of-three games in that series. For the season series the teams are tied three games apiece, so this weekend will decide the winner between KC and LA.

With the Los Angeles Angels coming to town over the weekend the Royals will get a second chance to see Zack Greinke in 2012. Photo Credit: Kyle Terada-US PRESSWIRE

When Kansas City visited Anaheim July 23-25, Greg Holland suffered the opening night loss allowing three runs in 2/3^rd of an inning. Game two Will Smith threw seven innings allowing one run on just two hits and was backed by a Lorenzo Cain two-RBI night. In the final LA won 11-6 but that game will be remembered by Luke Hochevar getting thrown batters into the fourth inning.

We conducted a Q&A with Jason Evans who is the editor over at Halo Hangout to see what’s up with the Angels.

Kings of Kauffman – Royals fans will get their second look at Zack Greinke this weekend at the K (first as a Brewer in June), what have Angel fans thought of him so far?

Jason Evans – Zack’s start wasn’t the best with the Angels, however he’s come back and become a real stabilizing factor in their rotation. He’s going to need to stay on this roll if they have any shot at a playoff spot

KOK – Los Angeles have had a rollarcoaster season so far any predictions on how it ends?

JE – My opinion on that really changes by the day. They’ve been so inconsistent that at this point, I’m not sure if they make it.

KOK – Albert Pujols is another guy that Royals fans know well and has rebounded well since his slow start, what has his value been to the team this season or has it been lost behind Trout/Trumbo?

JE – I think everyone’s expectations for Pujols were too high. He was going to need to make adjustments in a new league. He’s probably having the quietest 30 home run year he ever has.

KOK – Speaking of Trout, Royals fans got a taste at the All-Star Game in July at the K, do you think he’ll sweep AL Rookie and MVP honors?

JE – I think Trout had rookie of the year locked up in June. MVP probably depends on whether they make the playoffs or not. I think it’s still TBD.

Here is the other half of the conversation that took place at Halo Hangout with Jason

Probable Starters this week (All Times Central) –

Friday 7:10 pm, C.J. Wilson (12-9, 3.69) v. Bruce Chen (10-12, 5.36)

Saturday 7:10 pm, Zack Greinke (5-2, 4.15)* v. Jeremy Guthrie (4-3, 3.23)*

Sunday 1:10 pm, Dan Haren (10-11, 4.45) v. Will Smith (5-7, 4.94)

* = Stats since joining Angels/Royals

Can Jeremy Guthrie and the Royals continue their success against the division leading White Sox this weekend in Chicago? Photo Credit: Bob DeChiara-US PRESSWIRE

When Last We Saw …

Last month the Royals swept the White Sox at the K when they played August 17-19^th by the scores of 4-2, 9-4 and 5-2. That sweep concluded a 5-1 homestand for Kansas City before an east coast road trip to St. Pete and Boston. Jeremy Guthrie’s near no-hitter on the Sunday game of that series was the last time the teams met.

Season Series …

KC is 8-4 this season against the Chicago including 5-1 over the last two meeting winning five straight. The teams split the first two series three games apiece before the recent run of success for the boys in blue.

Last time out Luis Mendoza opened the series going seven innings allowing two runs on four hits striking out six. Greg Holland worked around two hits in the ninth before notching his fifth save of the season. Tied in the seventh inning at two, Salvador Perez’s two-run double plated Mike Moustakas and Alcides Escobar for a 4-2 win.

Bruce Chen and Jake Peavy matched up in the second game of the series which finished in a 9-4 Royals win. Chen went six innings with four relievers coming in after him on what was a soggy game at Kauffman. Escobar went 4-for-5 with three runs scored, Eric Hosmer and Moustakas hit homeruns with Billy Butler driving in three runs.

In the series finale it appeared that Kansas City was going to cruise to an easy win while making history in the process. Guthrie went 7.2 innings striking out five but allowing two hits but it was the first that caused controversy, the official scorer ruled an Escobar an error (later overruled by MLB).

Chicago tied the game at two chasing Guthrie from the game, Tim Collins come in trying to preserve the lead which he was unable to. With the game tied in the bottom of the eighth Butler walked to leadoff with Jarrod Dyson coming in to pinch run. Perez came up with his second clutch hit of the weekend scoring Dyson, Johnny Giavotella and Lorenzo Cain padded the lead by the time the Royals finished the inning.

5/11 – Royals 0 @ White Sox 5
5/12 – Royals 5 @ White Sox 0
5/13 – Royals 9 @ White Sox 1
7/13 – White Sox 9 @ Royals 8 F/14
7/14 – White Sox 3 @ Royals 6
7/15 – White Sox 2 @ Royals 1
8/6 – Royals 2 @ White Sox 4
8/7 – Royals 5 @ White Sox 2
8/8 – Royals 2 @ White Sox 1
8/17 – White Sox 2 @ Royals 4
8/18 – White Sox 4 @ Royals 9
8/19 – White Sox 2 @ Royals 5

Probable Pitching Match-Ups (All Times Central):

Friday, 7:10 pm – Luis Mendoza (7-9, 4.48) v. Francisco Liriano (2-1, 4.54*)
- Against Chicago this season Mendoza is 2-2 with a 2.96 ERA
- In his last time out Luis had a no-decision against Minnesota over the weekend
- Liriano has one win against the Royals this season which came as a member of the Twins
Saturday, 3:05 pm – Bruce Chen (10-11, 5.28) v. Chris Sale (15-6, 2.93)
- Chen is coming off a loss against the Rangers on Labor Day allowing six runs in six innings
- Over his last four starts at the Cell, Bruce is 4-0 with a 1,35 ERA
- Sale has been roughed up by KC in 2012 while he’s rolled everyone else, in his last outing he gave up four runs on nine hits taking the loss
Sunday, 1:10 pm – Jeremy Guthrie (4-3, 3.70*) v. Hector Santiago (3-1, 3.71)
- On August 8 Guthrie went eight innings striking out six allowing just five hits
- Tuesday Jeremy picked up the lone win in the Texas series going seven striking out five
- Santiago made his MLB debut against the Royals on July 6, 2011 and is coming off a win versus the Twins this week

* – Stats since joining the Royals/White Sox

After losing the series opener KC took the next two games with a comeback win game two and Bruce Chen clinching the series with 6.2 innings pitched. Billy Butlerwent 3-for-7 with a homerun and three RBIs after going hitless in the series opener.

This will be the Royals lone trip to Fenway Park which is celebrating 100 years this season. Photo Credit: Greg M. Cooper-US PRESSWIRE

We conducted a Q&A with Derek Stykalo who is the senior editor over at BoSox Injection to see what’s up with Red Sox Nation.

Kings of Kauffman – The Red Sox fired their pitching coach Bob McClure who had been with the Royals until this season, how dysfunctional are things with the team for us outside Boston? 

Derek Stykalo – It depends what you want to believe.  There have been numerous reports this season stating the clubhouse is in disarray, only to hear from the players like Josh Beckett that this is tightest group of player’s he’s ever been a part of.  Personally, I think the clubhouse is a mess and there are a few egos that need to go, NOW!  Last September is still being brought up because this club can’t get over the issues that plagued them to that historic collapse.  Until they trim the fat with some of the overpaid, lazy, underachieving players, this team will be mediocre at best.

KOK – Follow-up what are fans opinions of how Bobby Valentine this season, since he seemed to be in a no win situation given how beloved Terry Francona was. Do you think given how torn the front office seemed to be on the hire is the reason for this? 

DS – At first the fans were against Bobby V, wanting him gone as quickly as he started.  Now, the fans realize that this is more on the players and they need to be held accountable for their actions both on and off the field.  Bobby’s hands were tied from the moment he signed on in Boston.  The owners make too many baseball decisions and granted Bobby didn’t help his cause when he threw Kevin Youkilis under the bus early on this year.  That was the start of a huge riff between Bobby and the players, but again, the prisoners are running the asylum here and it starts at the top.

KOK – For Boston they’ve had better pitching and for various reasons that’s failed them this season, do you think it’s just the perfect storm of unfortune that’s hit the staff this season?

DS – I think the Sox pitching woes have more to do with the egos that remain from last year and the inability for some pitchers to break away from that.  Specifically, Josh Beckett is the leader of this bunch and his attitude just plain sucks.  He’s managed to drag Jon Lester down with him and aside from his last start, Clay Buchholz gave fans some hope that maybe he had broken away from the Beckett influence and would return to his dominant ways.  The others, Felix Doubront and Franklin Morales have done a nice job filling in but still need some work before they’re ready to start 30+ games in a season.  Aaron Cook and Dice-K are bridge players, holding down a spot until the offseason when the Sox can attempt to patch their rotation with better, more effective solutions.

KOK – A lot has happened since these teams played in May when KC took two-of-three but how would Red Sox Nation take if they lost another series to the Royals?

DS –To be honest, it would be fitting that the Red Sox continue their slide towards misery by losing another series to the Royals.  This team is so far gone from turning it around that nothing would surprise me at this point.  I may sound negative, but it’s hard not to when you look at the talent on paper this club has and considering they have one of the highest payrolls in baseball, a sub .500 season is just unacceptable.  Yes, injuries have been a major story this year with 25 different players on the DL over the course of the season.  But there is still too much talent to be this bad. 

Probable Starters this week (All Times Central) –

Friday 6:10 pm, Bruce Chen (9-10, 5.45) v. Jon Lester (7-10, 5.03)

Saturday 6:10 pm, Jeremy Guthrie (5-12, 5.41) v. Josh Beckett (5-11, 5.23)

Sunday 12:35 pm, Will Smith (4-5, 5.40) v. Felix Doubront (10-6, 4.70)

Monday 12:35 pm, Luke Hochevar (7-11, 4.95) v. TBA

Here is the other side of the conversation that took place at BoSox Injections

Kings of Kauffman - Tampa Bay is 8-2 over its last 10 including a 4-game sweep of the Angels in Anaheim, is this all having Evan Longoria in the line-up or more to it?

Robbie Knopf- The Rays are not 8-2 in their last 10 purely because of Evan Longoria‘s play. Heck, he’s not even hitting that well yet, posting a .265/.316/.471 line with 2 homers, 8 RBI, and 12 strikeouts versus 3 walks over that stretch. But his presence has been huge. Adding him to the lineup makes it look a lot scarier. It allows the Rays to slot players in lineup spots where they’re comfortable instead of shuffling players all over the place. And then there’s the fact that the Rays know that they have their leader back, they have the player who has taken this team on his back before. Now they can just relax, contribute what they can and know that now they don’t have to overcompensate. Oh, and by the way, the Rays have allowed just 2.77 runs per game during this stretch. The pitching has been great all year, and now that the lineup is finally up to par, the Rays have the potential to win a lot of games.

Luke Hochevar threw a complete game shutout when he faced the Rays back in June, he'll start Tuesday at the Trop. Photo Credit: Tom Szczerbowski-US PRESSWIRE

KOK – Do Rays fans feel they can catch the Yankees given this current run and capture the AL East?

RK – This is a team that overcame a 9-game deficit in September of last season to make the playoffs. 5 games out with 42 games to go is a deficit that the Rays are confident they can overcome. Everyone knows that the Yankees are a great team. The Orioles are right behind the Rays and refuse to fade away. But no one in the AL can parallel the Rays’ pitching and the Rays know that if they can continue this offensive surge or anything near it, they have the ability to beat anyone in baseball. This is a team that some experts picked for the World Series, and one of those experts happens to be Joe Maddon. The Rays may have the highest upside of any team in baseball given their incredible starting pitching, bullpen, revived defense, and the flashes of excellence from the lineup. Rays fans believe that the sky is the limit for this team. They just hope that the Rays’ lineup can continue playing well to give them a chance.

KOK – Why does Tampa Bay seem to be better on the road (eight games over away from the Trop) than in St. Pete (five games over at home)?

RK – That Rays are undeniably better on the road. The Rays got off to an incredible 13-1 start at home, and that skews their home record. Since May 5th, they’re just 19-26. Part of that is definitely Longoria being out, part of it is that Tropicana Field is just a tough place to play.  Between the empty seats and just how annoying the stadium is in general, no one wants to play at Tropicana Field. But then you have to consider that Tropicana Field is a significant pitcher’s ballpark, which doesn’t help the Rays very much because their pitching is great anyway. The Rays’ hitters get to see much better hitter’s parks on the road which has led to better performance overall. The Rays have been able to establish a home field advantage before, especially when the stadium has been filled, and hopefully that will happen the rest of the season. But so far this season, they’ve definitely been more comfortable on the road

KOK – Is David Price one of the AL Cy Young/MVP favorites given how he’s pitched this season and helped keep the Rays afloat given the injuries?

RK – Price absolutely has to be one of the favorites for the AL Cy Young. By conventional measures, he’s leading the league in wins with 16 and in ERA at 2.39, and he’s 6th in strikeouts and innings pitched. In 24 starts, he has thrown 20 quality starts and allowed more than 3 earned runs just twice. If you want to get into a little sabermetrics he’s 3rd in FIP at 3.16, striking out 8.8 per 9 innings, walking just 2.8, and allowing 0.7 homers per 9 without being overly lucky. His 3.16 xFIP, yes, the same as his FIP, leads the AL. He has just gone out every 5th day and dominated. Price finished second in the Cy Young voting in 2010 and he has been significantly better this year. There are plenty of worthy candidates, but Price has to be right among the top two or three names on the list.

Probable Starters this week (All Times Central) –

Monday 6:10 pm, Will Smith (4-4, 5.09) v. Jeremy Hellickson (7-8, 3.39)

Tuesday 6:10 pm, Luke Hochevar (7-11, 5.24) v. David Price (16-4, 2.39)

Wednesday 12:10 pm, Luis Mendoza (7-8, 4.26) v. James Shields (11-7, 4.03)

Head over to Rays Colored Glasses for the other half of the series Q&A

Kings of Kauffman – How do you explain the White Sox struggles at home against the Royals at home but being successful largely in Kansas City?

Matt Adams– Mostly chance. This team, as is the case with most, go through hot and cold streaks.  It just so happens that some poor games have been strung together against the Royals.  It would be nice to have some extra consistency against a less experienced team but the White Sox haven’t exactly been able to turn that into an advantage.

Jeremy Guthrie will face the White Sox for the second time in just over a week on Sunday at the K. Photo Credit: Peter G. Aiken-US PRESSWIRE

KOK – What is the team’s plan for Chris Sale at this point of the season? 

MA – The idea at this point is to keep him fresh through the year so that he’ll be primed for a playoff run.  It’s tricky with a guy who hasn’t even approached this sort of workload before.  You want to protect him but at the same time you don’t want to miss out on the value that he provides.  Sale is arguably this team’s ace, and you feel much better about winning games when your ace is on the mound.

KOK – On a scale to 1-10 how surprised are White Sox fans with Robin Ventura at this point?

MA – I’d put it at maybe a 2.  Nobody knew what to expect out of Robin before the season started so there isn’t much to be surprised about.  Everybody is psyched about the job he’s done.  The team is in first and the players appear to be pretty relaxed out there.  There are some gripes about his x’s and o’s here and there but overall he’s got the fans feeling good.  A manager doesn’t really need to change his style for fan opinion of him to change.  All that has to shift is the team’s record and the fan opinion will go along with it.

KOK – What’s happened in the brief time since these two teams met last week at the Cell?

MA – Since last we met there was a bit of a moral victory to accompany some big wins.  The White Sox had been notoriously bad playing in the Rogers Center and managed 3 of 4 there.  Again, likely it was just a timing thing along but feels good to not have that hanging over the team.  Paul Konerko has missed the entire week after hitting the 7-day DL from a concussion inadvertently delivered by Jarrod Dyson.  He’s available for the series for the first time since the two teams last played.

For the other side of the conversation check out Southside Showdown

Probable Starters this weekend –

Friday 7:10 pm, Chris Sale (14-3, 2.60) v. Luis Mendoza (6-8, 4.37)

Saturday 6:10 pm, Jake Peavy (9-8, 3.04) v. Bruce Chen (8-10, 5.56)

Sunday 1:10 pm, Jose Quintana (5-2, 2.77) v. Jeremy Guthrie (5-12, 5.75)

Will Smith opens the series for the Royals tonight at Camden Yards against the Orioles. Photo Credit: Kelvin Kuo-US PRESSWIRE

When Last We Saw …

These two teams haven’t seen each other since May 25-27 when they met at Orioles Park at Camden Yards. KC was coming off losing two-of-three in New York against the Yankees but after taking the series in Baltimore finished the trip beating the Indians twice in Cleveland on that nine game road trip.

Season Series …

KC trails the season series 3-2 but did win two of the previous three at Baltimore in May. The season series began in May with O’s coming to town taking the series winning both games.

Royals fans won’t forget the 15-inning game with Jonathan Broxton blowing the save and Nate Adcock saving the ‘pen. The next day Kansas City built a 3-0 lead that Luke Hochevar and crew couldn’t hold onto losing 5-3.

In the first game at Baltimore the birds knocked Bruce Chen out with a five run fifth en route to a 8-2 victory. Jason Hammel handcuffed KC in six innings no allowing a run on five hits while striking out seven. DH Chris Davis went 2-for-4 driving in three runs, J.J. Hardy and Adam Jones drove in two runs each.

Game two of the series saw the Orioles again jump out to a lead of 3-0 but the Royals scored the game’s final four runs. Humberto Quintero of all players put KC ahead driving in Eric Hosmer with a double to the left. Hosmer extended the lead in the eighth driving in Mike Moustakas on a single, also to note Greg Holland picked up the win with Broxton the save.

The final game of the series was back and forth with the teams exchanging the lead. Hochevar took the no-decision going 4 2/3 innings striking out six. Jeff Francoeur gave the Royals the lead with a solo homerun and Quintero added an insurance run with another double that scored Alcides Escobar.

5/16 – Orioles 4 @ Royals 3 F/15
5/17 – Orioles 3 @ Royals 5
5/25 – Royals 2 @ Orioles 8
5/26 – Royals 4 @ Orioles 3
5/27 – Royals 4 @ Orioles 2

Probable Pitching Match-Ups (All Times Central):

Thursday, 6:05 pm – Will Smith (2-4, 6.00)  v. Wei-Yin Chen (10-6, 3.46)
- Smith will be seeing Baltimore for the first time in his career on Thursday night in his eighth MLB start.
- While 1-4 in his last five starts he’s gone 5+ four times, the lone win game at the Angels in which might be his best start going seven innings allowing one run on two hits.
- Chen took a no-decision in his May 27^th start against KC after going six innings and allowing two runs. He’s won his last two starts against Oakland and at Tampa Bay.
Friday, 6:05 pm – Luke Hochevar (7-9, 5.04) v. Miguel Gonzalez (3-2, 3.80)
- Hochevar is 0-1 with a ND this season against the O’s this season.
- In the start at Baltimore he threw 109 pitches striking out six, allowing seven hits.
- Gonzalez will be making his first career start against KC and has alternated wins/losses during his last five starts with the last being a win over Tampa Bay which he went seven innings.
Saturday, 6:05 pm – Luis Mendoza (5-8, 4.36) v. Chris Tillman (5-1, 2.38)
- Mendoza comes in as probably the Royals most consistent starter being 2-4 in his last six starts going back to July 4.
- His last two starts saw him go 7.1 innings both starts which he’s 1-1 (beat Cleveland and lost at Chicago).
- Tillman since losing his long game of 2012 has won four straight starts. Wins have come at Cleveland, Tampa Bay, at New York and Seattle, against the Mariners he went seven innings.
Sunday, 12:35 pm – Bruce Chen (8-9, 5.51) v. Tommy Hunter (4-7, 5.55)
- Chen suffered his fifth loss of the season on May 25 in Baltimore when he allowed six runs on seven hits going only four innings.
- In his career he’s 2-2 against the O’s in five career starts but has only thrown 25.2 innings.
- Hunter has losses in three of his last four starts with a no-decision at New York. On May 16 he also got a ND against the Royals at the K which he went seven innings.

Alex Gordon will look to continue his recent hot streak as the Royals visit Seattle for the only time this season. Photo Credit: John Rieger-US PRESSWIRE

When Last We Saw …

As mentioned the M’s were at the K just last week when they took three of four against Kansas City. Seattle traded Ichiro Suzuki earlier this week to the New York Yankees, who went 7-for-20 with five runs scored, one double and triple.

Season Series …

Ichiro wasn’t the only Mariner to hurt the Royals last week left fielder Casper Wells drove in seven runs over the four game series. Jesus Montero was 8-for-17 scoring five runs plus drove in eight runs against KC. Pitching wise the M’s got solid efforts from three of their four starters which was capped by Felix Hernandez eight inning performance.

In the opener Seattle put the final nail in the Jonathan Sanchez coffin scoring five first inning runs and knocking him out after an inning and a third. Jason Vargas went six innings allowing three runs but was picked up by his ‘pen allowing one run over the final three innings. Alex Gordon had three hits with Mike Moustakas providing two in the 9-4 defeat.

Game two was similar to game one with the Royals not getting a long outing from its starter when Ryan Verdugo made his MLB debut and only went 1 2/3 innings. Verdugo allowed six runs on eight hits in his rough debut. KC fought back from a six-run deficit twice in the game but ultimately lost 9-6, Lorenzo Cain had a two-run pinch hit home run.

Kansas City fell behind 1-0 in game three but tagged Kevin Millwood for three runs in the second inning. Gordon and Cain each drove in two runs and six of the seven Royals starters drove in a run in the 8-7 win, Bruce Chen took a no-decision. Billy Butler was the hero in the game with a walkoff HR to left centerfield.

Will Smith gave KC a 6 1/3 inning start which he struck out five walking just two in what was largely a good start. Facing King Felix proved difficult even with Kansas City getting eight hits, they were 1-for-7 with runners in scoring position and grounded into two double plays. Montero drove in four runs in the Mariners 6-1 victory.

7/16 – Mariners 9 @ Royals 4
7/17 – Mariners 9 @ Royals 6
7/18 – Mariners 7 @ Royals 8
7/19 – Mariners 6 @ Royals 1

Probable Pitching Match-Ups (All Times Central):     

Thursday, 9:10 pm – Luis Mendoza (4-6, 4.31) v. Jason Vargas (10-7, 3.91)
- Mendoza picked up his first victory at home on Saturday night against the Twins going 6 1/3 well pitched innings in a 7-3 win.
- In his career he’s 0-1 with a 9.00 ERA against Seattle in four games which includes one start.
- Vargas has won his last three starts and has been given run support of 7 (at Oak), 9 (at KC) and 2 (at TB) runs in these starts. He hasn’t won at home since May 9, 2-1 against Detroit at Safeco Field.
Friday, 9:10 pm – Jeremy Guthrie (3-10, 6.49)  v. Blake Beavan (5-6, 5.54)
- Guthrie made his Royals debut on Sunday at home against the Twins allowing five runs in five innings, striking out four and walking three.
- He’s faced the Mariners ten times with each appearance being a start, his record is 2-6 both wins were complete games.
- Beavan threw last week at the K picking up the win going six innings, he allowed five runs and struck out three.
Saturday, 3:10 pm – Bruce Chen (7-8, 5.54) v. Kevin Millwood (3-8, 4.13)
- Chen’s last start came in the third game of the series last week in which he got the ND throwing 5 1/3 innings. He allowed four runs on seven hits striking out six without issuing a walk.
- Last week was the first time in his career that Bruce faced the M’s.
- Millwood got rocked in during his five innings at Kansas City last week which he allowed seven runs on 10 hits. On June 8^th he was part of a combined no-hitter for the team against the Dodgers in Seattle.
Sunday, 3:10 pm – Will Smith (2-3, 6.26) v. Felix Hernandez (9-5, 2.80)
- Smith started Tuesday night in Anaheim going seven innings in the Royals 4-1 victory allowing just two-hits.
- He’ll get another shot at King Felix who he faced in the series finale last week where he worked into the seventh inning before being pulled.
- Hernandez like Smith pitched and won on Tuesday night the only game of the previous series for his team. Against the Yankees he went 7 1/3 innings allowed four hits and two runs.

Will Hosmer have another series like he did last time the Royals played the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim? Photo Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-US PRESSWIRE

When Last We Saw …

KC and LAA haven’t seen each other since the first week of the season when the Royals took two-of-three against the Angels. Los Angeles won the opening game before Kansas City took the next two, my how things have changed during the year for both franchises during the season.

Season Series …

In the season opener LA won 5-0 in a well pitched game from Bruce Chen but it was Jared Weaver who got the win as Aaron Crow took the loss. Erick Aybar hurt the boys in blue driving in three runs during the five run eighth which was the difference in game one.

The next day Kansas City touched up Dan Haren en route to a 6-3 victory evening up the series. Jeff Francoeur went 2-for-4 driving in two, Eric Hosmer batting in the third spot was 2-for-5 which he scored twice with an RBI. Not to be forgotten Luke Hochevar went 6 1/3 innings allowing two runs with four strikeouts.

Easter was the last time these teams played with the Royals beating the Angels 7-3 moving to 2-1. KC struck Ervin Santana for three runs in the highlighted by Billy Butler hitting a two-run homer that brought in Hosmer. Country Breakfast and Hos combined for six of the seven runs Kansas City scored, Jonathan Sanchez picked up the win to show how long ago this was.

4/6 – Royals 0 @ Angels 5
4/7 – Royals 6 @ Angels 3
4/8 – Royals 7 @ Angels 3

Probable Pitching Match-Ups (All Times Central):     

Friday, 9:05 pm – Bruce Chen (7-8, 5.57) v. C.J. Wilson (9-6, 2.82)
- Chen has two no-decisions in his last two starts for the Royals
- In his last start against the Mariners he left the game after 5 1/3 innings when Ned Yost might of left him in too long. Chen struckout six, allowing four runs on seven hits.
- Wilson who came over from the Rangers in the offseason will be facing the Royals for the first time this season. In his career he’s 3-0 with a 2.34 ERA against Kansas City in 13 career appearances.
Saturday, 9:05 pm – Will Smith (1-3, 7.97) v. Garrett Richards (3-1, 3.53)
- Smith who was drafted by the Angels in the seventh round of the 2008 draft will face his original team for the first time.
- Last week against the M’s he went 6 1/3 innings taking the loss giving up four runs on eight hits. He did strike out five walking just two Seattle hitters.
- Richards three wins have come against the Mariners, Diamondbacks and most recently the Tigers last week in Detroit. He went seven innings allowing three hits, striking out two with four walks.
Sunday, 2:25 pm – Luke Hochevar (6-8, 4.91) v. Jered Weaver (10-1, 2.20)
- Hochevar like Chen has no-decisions in his last two starts but the impressive stat is how he’s gone at least five innings in each of his last eight starts.
- Luke went seven innings against Minnesota on Friday night which the Royals lost 2-1 in 11 innings but struck out six without a walk allowing just a run.
- Weaver was masterful on Opening Night against KC and his only loss came on May 13 at Texas. Like Hochevar he went seven innings on Friday but picked up his 10^th win against the Rangers in Anaheim.

Luke Hochevar will open the series for the Royals against the Twins this weekend at Kauffman Stadium. Hochevar has been pretty good in his last six starts which hopefully continues. Photo Credit: Denny Medley-US PRESSWIRE

When Last We Saw …

The last time the Royals and Twins met was at the end of June up in the Twin Cities, Minnesota took three-of-four to win the series. Kansas City and Luis Mendoza held onto win 5-4 after Mr. Excitement Jonathan Broxton made things interesting. That weekend the Twins hit homerun after homerun to take the next three games by scores of 7-2, 5-1 and 10-8.

Season Series …

This season Minnesota holds a 6-3 advantage against Kansas City in the three meetings so far in 2012. In April the teams met in Minneapolis with the result being a split due to game two getting rained out. The first week of June was the second meeting taking place at the K with Minnesota taking two-of-three. Coming into tonight KC will try to snap a three game losing streak to the division’s last place team.

4/27 Royals 7 @ Twins 6
4/28 Royals @ Twins PPD
4/29 Royals 4 @ Twins 7
6/4 Twins 10 @ Royals 7
6/5 Twins 0 @ Royals 1
6/6 Twins 4 @ Royals 2
6/29 Royals 4 @ Twins 3
6/30 DH Game 1 Royals 2 @ Twins 7
DH Game 2 Royals 1 @ Twins 5
7/1 Royals 8 @ Twins 10

Probable Pitching Match-Ups (All Times Central):     

Friday, 7:10 pm – Nick Blackburn (4-5, 8.10) v. Luke Hochevar (6-8, 5.26)
- Hochevar comes into this start 3-1 with two no-decision in his last six starts against Milwaukee (ND), @Houston (W), Tampa Bay (W), @Minnesota (L), @Toronto (W) and Chicago White Sox (W)
- During this streak he’s kept his walks down and strikeout totals high but the biggest positive is he’s worked past the sixth inning in four of these six starts.
- Blackburn has only faced the Royals once this season and he got the win on June 6 going just five innings. He was bailed out by his bullpen holding KC scoreless the rest of the game.
Saturday, 6:10 pm – Scott Diamond (8-3, 2.96) v. Luis Mendoza (3-6, 4.32)
- Mendoza was the tough luck loser on last Sunday against the White Sox going 7 1/3 innings in a 2-1 defeat.
- As mentioned his best start was at Target Field on June 29^th when he went eight innings allowing one run on five hits while striking out five.
- Diamond first career start against KC game in the second game of the last series when he threw the first game of the Saturday doubleheader. In the game he threw eight innings allowing two runs on six hits in 101 pitches.
Sunday, 1:10 pm – Sam Deduno (0-0, 5.59) v. Jeremy Guthrie (3-9, 6.35)
- Newly acquired Colorado Rockies pitcher Jeremy Guthrie is being tabbed as Sunday’s starter for the series finale. With Colorado Guthrie was 3-9 with a 6.35 ERA but here is hoping that a change of scenario works out for him and Jonathan Sanchez who part of the deal
- In his career Guthrie is 4-1 with a 2.70 ERA in eight career games against the Twin having thrown 46.2 innings. Another positive stat is his strike to walk ratio against Minnesota striking out 28 against six walks.
- Deduno is in his first season with the Twins, having spent the first two seasons of his career in the national league is facing the Royals for the first time. He came with Colorado in 2010 and was with San Diego during the 2011 season.

Tommy Milone kept the Royals off-balanced earlier this season in Oakland can KC return the favor this weekend? Photo Credit: Kim Klement-US PRESSWIRE

These two teams met in early April with the A’s taking two-of-three against KC, Oakland won the first and third games of that series. The Royals were coming off an opening series win in Anaheim lost a 1-0 game, won 3-0 eighth inning game and lost 5-4 in 12-innings.

In the opener Kansas City met Tommy Milone who three-hit the Royals over eight innings, the stat that sticks out is he didn’t strike out anyone. Luis Mendoza threw 5 2/3 innings on 97 pitches allowing just one-run. Grant Balfour picked up the save coming in the ninth inning stranding Mitch Maier on second base after walking him with one-out.

Danny Duffy made the start in game two on what was a rainy night in Oakland, more on that in a moment and handcuffed the A’s over six innings. Cliff Pennington’s double was the only hit that Duffy allowed during the game. KC struck for two runs in the fourth inning putting up two-runs with Mike Moustakas doubling home Billy Butler and Humbero Quintero getting Jeff Francoeur home on a sac fly.

For much of the night there was a steady mist that fell during the game which picked up late. Maier hit a homerun in the seventh putting KC up 3-0 which was all the run support needed on this night. In the eighth the rain really picked up which after the inning put the contest in a rain delay resulting in the game being called.

Game three started the Jonathan Broxton anxiety which every Royals fan seems to have when Mr. Excitement (my nickname due to this) given how it ended. The game went back and forth with quality starts from Bruce Chen and Brandon McCarthy.

Fast forward to the top of the 12^th inning when KC took a 4-3 lead. Broxton, struck out Daric Barton before walking back-to-back A’s, Alcides Escobar committed an error to start the trouble. Two straight walks were followed by an RBI-groundout tying the game which Broxton then hit two hitters in-a-row ending the game.

Probable Pitching Match-Ups (All Times Central):     

Friday, 7:10 pm – Bartolo Colon (4-5, 4.52) v. Felipe Paulino (2-1, 2.03)
- Colon is 1-2 in his last three starts against the Angels, Giants and Yankees picking up a win at San Francisco. His lone win he went five innings striking out seven with two walks, in the other two games he lost he pitched six plus with three strikeouts and no walks. In his career against the Royals he’s 15-9 with a 4.92 ERA.
- Paulino’s record doesn’t show just how good he’s been for the Royals with a win at New York sandwiched around two no-decisions against Baltimore. Saturday, Felipe went only 5.2 innings compiling five walks and strikeouts in 109 pitches at Camden Yards. In three career starts against Oakland he’s 0-0 but has a 12.46 ERA going just four innings allowing six-runs.

Saturday, 1:10 pm – TBD v. Luke Hochevar (3-5, 6.19)
- It’s not know who the A’s will start on Saturday against KC, the Athletics list four starters on their roster but we’ll see if they make a roster move.
- Hochevar despite losing two of his last three starts he’s seen his ERA drop from 7.02 to 6.61 to its current 6.19 state. Kansas City won 4-2 on Sunday in Luke’s last start but he couldn’t escape the fifth inning going just 4.2 innings striking out seven, walking one. In seven career games Hoch is 0-6 with a 6.39 ERA against Oakland.

Sunday, 1:10 pm – Tommy Milone (6-4, 3.64) v. TBD
- Milone was mentioned earlier from his mastery of the Royals back in April but coming into this start he’s just 1-2. He’s pitched into the seventh inning in all three starts losing 4-1 at Texas and 2-0 against New York while beating Los Angeles 2-1. After not throwing 100 pitches in his first seven starts, he’s reached the century mark over the last three.
- One would think with Kansas City not announcing a starter that Jonathan Sanchez who pitched Tuesday in Omaha could be called up. Vin Mazzaro could also get a spot start or Mendoza who threw 3.2 innings Monday at Cleveland if the team didn’t make a move.

Season Series – Cleveland 4-2, Indians swept series in KC April 13-15 with Royals taking 2-of-3 April 24-26

Can Billy Butler and Jeff Francoeur keep up their hot hitting in Cleveland to close the road trip? Photo Credit: Kelley L Cox-US PRESSWIRE

Since the last time – These two foes met roughly a month ago with KC taking two-of-three after getting swept by the Tribe to open the 2012 home slate. Last time the teams met Cleveland was 9-8 and tied for the AL Central lead since they’ve gone 17-13 and leads the division by half a game over the White Sox and the Royals by six and a half games. Kansas City left the last meeting with a 5-14 record and have gone 14-13 since.

Heading into the Match-Up – Over the weekend the boys in blue took the series against the AL East leading Orioles while the Tribe were swept on the Southside being outscored 25-16 over the three-game series.

Probable Pitching Match-Ups (All Times Central):     

Monday, 3:05 pm – Nate Adcock (0-2, 2.33) v. Josh Tomlin (1-2, 4.67)
- Adcock In the 15-inning loss to the O’s Nate threw a then season high five innings and gave up an Adam Jones bomb to left in the only run allowed by him. His other loss came in the only start he made against the Diamondbacks going five, surrendering just one run.
- Tomlin has won his last two starts beating the White Sox twice in a five day stretch earlier this month. He’s pitched once against the Royals losing 4-2 on April 26 going 4 2/3 innings.

Tuesday, 6:05 pm – Will Smith (0-1, 13.50) v. Justin Masterson (2-3, 4.62)
- Smith had a tough welcome to the show last week getting the ball at Yankee Stadium. In his first MLB start he went 3 1/3 allowing five runs on six hits.
- Masterson is 1-3 in his last four starts for the Indians going six innings in each appearance and into the seventh in his last two. In those starts he’s 1-1 with two no-decisions in the loss he allowed six runs in a 12-1 defeat at Boston.

Monday, 11:05 am – Bruce Chen (3-5, 4.81) v. Jeanmar Gomez (3-3, 3.94)
- Chen didn’t have his best stuff Friday night in Baltimore which was surprising given his previous starts. In the loss at Baltimore Bruce went just four innings allowing six runs on seven hits in his shortest outing since the loss at Minnesota.
- Gomez I’m sure Royals fans remember Mr. Gomez from the opening series at the K. In his last three starts Gomez is 1-1 with a ND winning against Miami but losing to Chicago on Friday night 9-3 allowing six runs.

Bruce Chen will look to snap the Royals two-game losing streak in the series opener at Baltimore. Photo Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-US PRESSWIRE

When these teams met last Wednesday and Thursday at Kauffman Stadium, it was KC who was the hotter team having gone 4-1 on a roadtrip on the southside of Chicago and Arlington. Baltimore has been one of the early surprises of the season leading the AL East.

In the quick two-game series, Kansas City jumped out to the lead with the end result being Baltimore coming back late to earn the sweep. Game one went 15-innings which was highlighted in many Royals fans minds of Jonathan Broxton blowing his second save of the season and Nate Adcock surrendering a 15^th inning bomb to Adam Jones in the 4-3 Orioles win.

Game two again KC built an early lead with Humberto Quintero and Johnny Giavotella driving in the runs putting the Royals up 3-0 in the third. The O’s got two back in the next inning with Jones again hitting a homer this time of the two-run variety. Luke Hochevar who pitched well ran into trouble in the seventh inning after back-to-back singles (highlighted by Jarrod Dyson misplaying what should’ve been only a single).

J.J. Hardy who tied the game for Balitmore in game one, again came up with the big hit putting the birds in front for good. Aaron Crow who has been good in relief was unable to help Hochevar out walking Lois Esposito and Xavier Avery back-to-back loading the bases which culminated with Hardy’s hit.

Probable Pitching Match-Ups (All Times Central):     

Friday, 6:05 pm – Bruce Chen (3-4, 4.17) v. Jason Hammel (5-1, 3.12)
- Chen, enters this start having won his last three starts beating the Red Sox, at Rangers and Diamondbacks. He’s reached the seventh inning in each of these starts and averaging five strikeouts and 1.3 walks in these starts. Another thing helping is KC is giving Bruce run support scoring 4.6 runs compared to just an average of two runs in his first six starts.
- Hammel, Has been great so far this season for the AL East leaders starting 5-1 with two no-decisions. He’s 2-0 with a ND in his last three starts beating Boston and Washington while not figuring into the loss against the Yankees. In his last two starts he went five and 5 1/3 innings allowing 6.5 hits in his last two starts and 4.5 runs.
Saturday, 3:05 pm – Felipe Paulino (2-1, 1.42) v. Wei-Yin Chen (4-1, 3.35)
- Paulino, So far in three of his four starts in 2012 he’s not allowed a run, the game he did at Chicago he did suffer his lone loss. Felipe went seven innings last week against Baltimore but the Royals bullpen was unable to hold onto the lead. In four starts Paulino is averaging seven strikeouts which includes nine against the O’s last Wednesday and eight in the Bronx on Monday.
- Chen, Suffered his first defeat at Washington 9-3 in his last start for the rookie out of Taiwan. The six-runs he allowed were a season high and nearly a third of the 22 runs allowed this season. He’s been getting 4.6 runs of support in each start.
Sunday, 12:35 pm – Luke Hochevar (3-5, 6.61) v. TBD
- Hochevar, Sure I and Royals fans have had fun at the former number one pick expense but let’s give him credit as of late. In Luke’s last three starts he’s made it into the seventh inning and seen his ERA go from an even nine to its current 6.61 form. Also encouraging has been his strikeout numbers in the last three starts increasing with 5, 6 and 8 in those games.
- TBD, For now we’ll have to wait and see who Buck Showalter goes to if that is activating someone from the DL or calling up someone from the minors.

May 11, 2012; Arlington, TX, USA; Texas Rangers center fielder Josh Hamilton (32) gets congratulated by shortstop Elvis Andrus (1) after hitting a home run in the fourth inning against the Los Angeles Angels at Rangers Ballpark in Arlington. Mandatory Credit: Jim Cowsert-US PRESSWIRE

The Royals wrapped up the weekend series in Chi-town with a 9-1 win Sunday to complete a series win.  They now have split or won their last six series and have won 8 of their last 14 after losing 12 in a row in April.  Now they get the daunting task of slowing down one of the best teams in baseball, the Texas Rangers.  Not to mention the best player in the game, Josh Hamilton, just came off one of the greatest weeks a hitter could ever have, including a 5-5 4 homerun game last Tuesday.

The Royals face the Rangers in a short 2 game series in Arlington, Texas.  Bruce Chen and Scott Feldman will be given the nod on Monday to take the mound and open the series.  On Tuesday there has been speculation as to who the Royals will start with most signs pointing toward Vin Mazzaro.  Colby Lewis will be the Rangers starter on Tuesday night.

Feldman, a career .500 pitcher, will be making his second start of the season tomorrow.  He has a 4.35 ERA in 10.1 innings of work on the season.  Feldman is not much of a strike out pitcher and the Royals should be able to put some good at bats together against him.  Colby Lewis is coming off two rough road starts where he allowed 6 runs in each.  While his last two starts are forgettable, he has managed to be stellar at home going 2-0 with a 1.45 ERA.

The main concern I have in the series is how well the Royals can keep the Rangers hitters in line.  I believe Bruce Chen can give us one of his usual starts which will give the Royals a fighting chance.  I’m very skeptical of Mazzaro, but he does have the ability to go 5 innings.  However, it’s also very likely he struggles to go 3 or 4 innings and the Texas lineup does what they do best, and mash.

Before the games get underway there are a few other interesting facts to know.  Ian Kinsler, the second baseman for the Rangers, and Josh Hamilton lead all of Major League Baseball in runs scored.  The Rangers also have one of the best bullpens in all of baseball.  Their bullpen ERA is tops amongst all teams, so it won’t be ideal if the Royals are trailing and have to make any attempt at a comeback against solid relievers like Mike Adams, Koji Uehara, and closer Joe Nathan.

This series is sure going to be an interesting one.  Will Josh Hamilton keep up his torrid hot streak?  Can the Royals starters and bullpen keep the Rangers at bay?  Will the Royals be able to keep pace with the best offense in baseball?  A lot of questions will be answered and we will soon find out how this series will play out.  Hopefully the Royals can, at least, manage a split on the road and head back to Kauffman Stadium on a good note.

Thanks for visiting Kings of Kauffman. You can stay current on all the Kings of Kauffman content and news by following us on Twitter, Facebook, or by way of our RSS feed.  You can also send your questions to our mailbag at KoKMailbag@gmail.com and follow Jordan McLaughlin on Twitterto be notified each time he posts a story.

For young Royals fans who may not remember, the Royals and Blue Jays have a history together.  In October 1985, the Royals played the Blue Jays in a thrilling 7 game playoff that stood as possibly the most exciting series in Royals history…  for about 11 days until the Royals defeated the Cardinals in the greatest World Series ever played.  (Please note, some Cardinal fans have disputed the notion that the 7 game 1985 World Series was in fact the greatest ever played.  However, they are wrong.)

The Blue Jays have the misfortune of playing in the same division as the financially rich Yankees and Red Sox, and the pitching rich Tampa Bay Rays.  While faced with this stiff competition, the Blue Jays still compiled a .500 record in 2011, both winning and losing exactly 81 games.  In 2011, the Royals won the season series with the Blue Jays 4-3.

The Blue Jays feature a few new players on their roster this year.  Arizona and Toronto traded second baseman in a deal that sent Kelly Johnson to replace Aaron Hill who has only been a shadow of himself since his 2009 All Star season.  Hill batted .225 with 6 HR and 45 RBIs for Toronto in 2011.  He made Alcides Escobar look like a slugger.

Pouty Colby Rasmus is getting a fresh start with the Toronto Blue Jays Credit: Derick E. Hingle-US PRESSWIRE

Famously homesick former first round draft pick and Alabama boy Colby Rasmus came to the Blue Jays in a multi-player deal with the Cardinals last July, and played centerfield for the last several weeks of the season.  The Cardinals, and now the Blue Jays continue to offer him additional chances to prove himself due to his tremendous five-tool upside, but even at only 25 years old, patience is wearing thin with his sullen attitude.  So far, he hasn’t proved to be much of an upgrade over Rajai Davis who remains on the bench and available if needed.

Omar Vizquel, one of the greatest defensive infielders in the history of MLB, is now a bench player for the Blue Jays Credit: David Richard-US PRESSWIRE

The Blue Jays also carry one of my all time favorite players, 9 time gold glove winning 45-year-old Omar Vizquel now rides the bench for Toronto as a utility infielder.  He hasn’t played for Cleveland since 2004, but I still just can’t picture him in anything other than an Indian’s uniform.  I haven’t seen Vizquel play for a while, but he was a defensive highlight machine back in the day.  I always loved watching him make plays, the same way I love watching Alcides Escobar play right now. (Well, with the possible exception of the 12^th inning in Oakland late last Wednesday night.)  Vizquel is a great veteran presence in the dugout and the locker room.

Even with Vizquel on the team, the average age of the Blue Jays is only 29.1 (there are 10 “older” teams) compared to the Royals 26.9.

Toronto pitching was only slightly better than the Royals last year, with a team ERA of 4.32 compared to the Royals 4.44, with more strikeouts at 1169 compared to the Royals 1080.  Toronto pitching also plunked 77 batters last year, which was good for second most in the AL behind the brush-back pitch happy Boston Red Sox.  The Jays were close to the middle of the pack in most every pitching category, except wild pitches – they led the league in 2011 with 73.

The Blue Jays proved they are a socially conscious organization by giving their closer Sergio Santos paternity leave immediately after the 2012 season began.  I remember the days when players would rush to the hospital to be with their wives who were struggling to hold off the birth until after the final out of a game, only to appear in the lineup the very next day.  It wasn’t that long ago.  Santos returned to the team last Sunday and will be available to the Blue Jays during their series with the Royals.

The Toronto Blue Jays feature slugger and former Royal Jose Bautista Credit: Kim Klement-US PRESSWIRE

And then there’s Jose Bautista.  Bautista crushed American League pitching last year with a .302 batting average and league leading .608 Slugging, 1.056 OPS, 132 Walks, 24 IBB (some players never get intentionally walked during their entire career!) and 43 home runs.  Not bad for a 20^th round pick.

Did you know Bautista played 13 games for the Royals in 2004?  I wish I could say I predicted he would turn into the hot hitting player he has become today.  I guess it just shows that the experts know better than us amateurs, right?  Oh that’s right, they didn’t predict it either, did they?

The first game of the series is scheduled for Friday evening beginning at 7:10 pm.  This is of course a Buck Night, and a Fireworks Friday night, as well as a Thumb Band night (whatever that is) for the first 20,000 fans.  Retro batting jerseys will be distributed to the first 20,000 fans at the 6:10 pm game on Saturday, and the 1:10 pm Sunday game is a family fun day.

So take your family to the K this weekend and have some fun watching the Royals take on former Royal Jose Bautista and the Toronto Blue Jays, and get yourself a thumb band, or a batting jersey, or a little face paint while you’re there.

Thanks for visiting Kings of Kauffman. You can stay current on all the Kings of Kauffman content and news by following us on Twitter, Facebook, or by way of our RSS feed.  You can also send your questions to our mailbag at KoKMailbag@gmail.com and follow Alan Barrington on Twitter to be notified each time he posts a story and receive his incredibly insightful sports commentary.

Who will be the Royals starting second baseman on opening day? (Peter G. Aiken-US PRESSWIRE)

The Royals 2012 season is going to be like a good book or movie.  Lots of intersecting plotlines, intriguing drama, memorable heroes, wild action scenes, and despicable bad guys.  The major difference between this year and seasons past is that the story of the Royals in 2012 has the potential for a happy ending.  No other Royals season for the past umpteen years can say that.

Many of the story lines will be decided in the next several days, but others will hold our attention for months – and that’s another thing that makes this season different from most others.  If the story plays out the way we expect, we’ll still be watching and listening with rapt attention until the last game against the Tigers on October 3.

Here’s an enticing potential storyline for us to begin with.  What if (now just humor me for a moment, this could happen), what if the Royals are within 3 games of the Tigers when the final series with them begins on October 1?  Does it make this storyline even more fascinating if you know these games will be played in Kauffman stadium?  You couldn’t plan a better outcome for 2012, could you?  I bet just the thought of it has your juices flowing already.  I think it’s a very optimistic thought, and few if any Royals fans I know are expecting the team to be in contention down the stretch, but we’re all hoping for it aren’t we?  And I think all of us would say that it COULD happen, which makes this storyline one that will likely keep our attention well into the season.

And if you’re wondering why I’m using the Tigers as the team I’m suggesting will lead the AL Central this year, well… Verlander, Fielder, Cabrera – that’s why.

Who is going to play second base for the Royals this year?  The smart money is on Johnny Giavotella who finished the year at second last season, but it could be Chris Getz or (knock on wood), Yuniesky Betancourt.  Giavotella has the potential to be clearly the best hitter of this group, but his defense is suspect and he may still be recovering from surgery to correct a labral tear in his hip that hindered his ability to move side to side.  Alex Gordon underwent similar surgery in 2009 and so far, I’d say his defensive capabilities have not only recovered, but have contributed to raising his status to one of the top left fielders in the league.  (Who would you rather have in left field than Alex Gordon, MLB’s 24^th ranked player in 2011 according to ESPN’s player ranker?  No one?  That’s what I thought.)

Chris Getz has changed his “swing path” and his stride to the ball this Spring, which so far is showing promising results, but he’s still an underdog to usurp the position from Johnny.  One other frightening prospect is the hopefully very slight possibility that because both Getz and Giavotella have options remaining the Royals have the flexibility to send either Johnny or Chris to Omaha (or both – Yikes!) and let so-called utility player Yuniesky Betancourt play second base.  (I say “so-called” because he’s never really played all the positions he’s being asked to backup.  And why would we want him to anyway?)   Without going into great detail in this post regarding how I feel about this possibility, you can read what I think here.  You can also read how Kevin Scobee feels about it here.  Suffice it to say, it alarms both of us.

Will the Royals still be in the race at the All Star break?  I just finished writing (or maybe dreaming) in the 3^rd paragraph that the Royals could potentially be within 3 games of the Tigers at the end of the season, so obviously I think the Royals will be in the race at the All Star break.  There are many positive and negative aspects of a team comprised of mostly young, enthusiastic, but somewhat inexperienced players.  The energy that comes off this team is infectious and I love watching them chest bump each other and feed off of their teammates’ play.  But teams like this can be emotional, and streaky, and an 8 game losing streak could jeopardize everything they’re trying to accomplish.

Mike Moustakas and Eric Hosmer share a little love (Jerry Lai-US PRESSWIRE)

Will one of the Royals beat Steve Balboni’s 1985 single season 36 home run record?  (Balboni also led the league in strikeouts that year with 166.  Ay caramba!)  There are few records in baseball that are begging to be broken more than this one.  I know Kauffman stadium is a pitcher’s park, but come on guys, somebody needs to break this record, please!  Mike Moustakas has the pedigree to break the record.  He hit 52 homes runs during his high school career (a California state record) and he led all minor league players with 36 home runs in 2010 while playing in just 118 games.  Back in late January, one of the guys on the MLB Networks’ Inside Pitch program predicted that Eric Hosmer would eventually win the triple crown.  I believe both Moose and Hoz have the potential to break the record, and very possibly both of them will break the record…  someday, but probably not in 2012.

Will Alex Gordon repeat his All Star worthy performance from 2011?  The respected ZiPS projection system has Gordon pegged to backslide from his 2011 performance and end 2012 with a .278/.358/.464 line (he hit .303/.376/.502 in 2011) and 20 home runs.  Those stats are decent, particularly for a guy expected to turn in a strong defensive performance, but probably not All Star worthy.  On the other hand, I think ZiPS may rely too heavily on past performance when creating their calculations and not enough on the intangibles or the fact that someone “figured it out.”  If you look up “figured it out” in the dictionary, you’ll find a picture of Alex Gordon.

Few people have come into the league with higher expectations or potential and in my opinion it has been more of a surprise that Gordon hasn’t been performing at an All Star level prior to 2011 than it should be a surprise if he performs at an All Star level in 2012.  In addition, I believe his chances of making the squad this year are increased because many people took notice last year to how loudly RoyalNation squawked when Gordon didn’t make the team and this should raise his visibility a little in 2012.  Put me down as a believer and firmly in the camp of disagreeing with ZiPS, at least where Gordon is concerned.  I think he’ll be hovering around .290/.295 by the All Star break with 12-14 dingers, which should be good enough for consideration.

Will the Royals place more than one player on the All Star team?  We all know Gordon was robbed last year, but in all likelihood, if he had been selected to the All Star team Aaron Crow probably wouldn’t have gone.  One of the drawbacks of having a young team is that few people know about you and it’s hard for your players to get votes in Baltimore or Phoenix if the fans don’t recognize their names.  And if the fans don’t vote for them, no All Star manager is going to select more than one Royal when he can nominate players from his own team.  And Ron Washington will probably have plenty of deserving Rangers to pick from.

Until the Royals make the playoffs and put themselves on a national stage, I can’t imagine one of them getting the most votes, so I don’t think it’s going to happen this year.  But, there is one possible wild card in the selection process this year – the game will be played in Kansas City at Kauffman stadium.  If Ron Washington wants to make a good impression with the home crowd, he could possibly pick an extra player from the Royals.  The only way to ensure this happens is if a couple of the Royals step up and earn it, forcing his hand to the point that he would have no alternative but to select a couple of the boys in blue.

Will one of the Royals promising minor league pitchers join the rotation?  There are several young pitchers in the minor leagues that could earn the right to be considered for the rotation in 2012.  Many people believe Mike Montgomery is the most likely candidate for this honor, although consensus opinion is that unless he’s “lights out” in Spring Training, he’ll begin the season at AAA.  Going back to ZiPS, they predict that if Montgomery plays for the Royals in 2012, his line will be almost identical to Danny Duffy’s, beginning with a projected ERA of 4.92.  Between you and me, I’d be very happy if Mike could achieve that in his first major league season, although based on his performance in Omaha last year, I’d be mildly shocked if he did that well.

Not including the pitchers who’ve played at least a few games already in KC, there are several additional guys that could make the club sometime in 2012, including John Lamb (his 2011 Tommy John surgery makes his 2012 debut unlikely, although not impossible), Jake Odorizzi, Chris Dwyer, and a few others.  I’m very excited for these guys to all earn their way to KC, but in my opinion, none of them deserve a promotion yet and with the probable exception of Mike Montgomery, I don’t think we’ll see any of them in the starting rotation in Kansas City in 2012.

Will Lorenzo Cain be able to fill Melky Cabrera’s shoes?  If you consider that a player’s value is more than just his production at the plate, I say yes, Lorenzo Cain will be very close to Melky’s equal in 2012.  (Mike Engel said that Melky won’t even be Melky’s equal in 2012, so there’s that.)  Cain plays lights out defense, and while he hasn’t spent enough time at the Major League level to prove himself yet, he’s at least shown that he can hold his own at the plate.  ZiPS says Cain will bat .258 this year, but I think that’s a pessimistic prediction.  I may be surprised, but if the Royals don’t break .500 this year, I’m confident it won’t be because of Lorenzo Cain.

Will the Royals break .500 this year?  As we all know, the last time the Royals broke .500 was in 2003.  Most of the oddsmakers have the Royals pegged at 79-81 wins in 2012, and these are the people who make their living off of predictions like this.  We all know that a clutch double or a blown call can make the difference between at least a couple of games each year, so yes, it’s very, very possible the Royals could break .500 this year.  I’m saying 83 wins this year, and a playoff run in 2013, which I believe is realistic.

Will Sports Illustrated eat their words?  A few weeks ago, I was infuriated by a Sports Illustrated article entitled “Hope Doesn’t Spring Eternal for These Teams”, which listed the Royals, Orioles, A’s, Mets, Pirates, and Cubs as the teams that never have any chance of competing.  The writer of this story obviously knows nothing about baseball history and the periods of time where the major leagues were dominated by the Royals, Orioles, and A’s, and the unexpected championships of the Mets.  And there are more Cub fans who dream of bringing home the trophy each year than there are grains of sand on the beach.

Let’s all answer this together – How many World Series have the Red Sox won in the past 90+ years?  Two.  How many championships have the Rangers won in their entire existence?  None.  How many times have the gigantic market Angels hung the flag in the past 51 years?  One time, the same as the Royals.  If you want to get all caught up in “what have you done for me lately?” then let’s throw all the teams into the pot and consider them equally, and not just the teams that it has become politically correct to bash.

But, beyond these historical slights, the writer obviously hasn’t kept up with what’s been happening in Kansas City in 2012.  Not only are Royals fans fired up beyond any year in recent memory, but the Royals have a very realistic chance to compete, and if a handful of breaks go their way I could see them in contention right up to the wire.  I think it’s highly probable that Sports Illustrated will have no choice but to pay more attention to Kansas City before this season is over.

Spring Training has begun and it feels like we’re watching a preview of coming attractions.  It’s almost time for the book to be opened, the movie to begin, and the curtain to be drawn on the 2012 Royals season.  It’s been years since Kansas City had so many baseball storylines to watch, and longer since the storylines could potentially hold our interest for months to come.  I for one can’t wait.  Get your popcorn ready!

Thanks for visiting Kings of Kauffman. You can stay current on all the Kings of Kauffman content and news by following us on Twitter, Facebook, or by way of our RSS feed.  You can also send your questions to our mailbag at KoKMailbag@gmail.com and follow Alan Barrington on Twitter to be notified each time he posts a story and receive his incredibly insightful sports commentary.

But the schedule goes on regardless and the Royals hit the road, stopping first in Baltimore for a three game series with the Orioles.  In Kansas City, the Royals took two out of three and hope to keep it up at Camden Yards.

Joining me in previewing the series is Chris Raitzyk, staff writer at Birds Watcher – the Baltimore Orioles blog on the FanSided Network.

(more…)

Whatever the case may be with the 2011 Royals, we know this for sure: Don’t mess with a good thing. The Royals seem to be following these guidelines strictly.

(more…)

The Royals look to take another series in this young season, traveling to Target Field to take on the despised Minnesota Twins.  Is it me, or are the Twins kind of like the haughty, arrogant characters often played by Greg Kinnear or Ted McGinley (who, coincidentally played a pompous manager of the same Twins in Major League: Back to the Minors) in almost every film or television role they get?  They walk in with their pitchers who don’t walk people and hitters who move runners over and solid defense.

Pssh.  Twins.  I say bring ‘em on!

To be honest, I’m mildly terrified of this starting rotation.  I feel like it might fall apart at any moment, and a Twins series is usually when these things happen.  Hopefully, Jeff Francis can keep his momentum going and Kyle Davies can figure something out.

The Royals should have opportunities – Brian Duensing isn’t exactly a world-beater, and Francisco Liriano is having command issues.  The newfound approach at the plate could net the Royals more walks than they usually seem to get against the Twins and more baserunners means more scoring chances.  It’s just up to the Royals to come through.

Some solid pitching wouldn’t hurt either.

In the spirit of providing a balanced preview of the series, so my second-place-Royals-homerism doesn’t run rampant, Wally Fish, Senior Editor at Puckett’s Pond and I are collaborating on this preview.  He was my predecessor here at Kings of Kauffman, so he’s one of the good Twins fans.  (He grew up in Minnesota – let’s cut him a bit of slack.  But just a bit.)

(more…)